


Gemstones and Silver Spoons

by InsaneJuliann



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Multi, Nori's gonna end up being in denial, fem!Bilbo, i'll add tags as i go, mentions of totally casual Bofur and Nori, so he might hook up with others okay?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 22:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1178869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneJuliann/pseuds/InsaneJuliann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nori likes his traveling to far off places, and he doesn't mind getting into some trouble here or there, but even he isn't stupid enough to join the King in reclaiming Erebor. Ori joining is absolutely Dori's fault. But they have to keep an eye on the youngest Ri, and so they sign on. Nori suspects he might be the only one with any sense.</p><p>Certainly the Hobbit lass hired on as their burglar doesn't have any.</p><p>They're all going to die, he's just sure of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, in true Hobbit fandom tradition I am posting this on my birthday, preciouses.  
> I have not written a full length fic in... years. We'll see how this goes.
> 
> Because my little sis got the most gleeful look on her face when I suggested a female Bilbo with Nori.
> 
> And because authoressjean actually brought me to tears with that stupid Dwalin scene. I had to find some way to get revenge.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nori's brother did something stupid, so now he has to do it too.

“This is your fault!” Dori hissed the instant Nori came downstairs. He’d snuck inside late last night after an enjoyable (if long) journey to the south and back, and he had absolutely no idea what Dori was on about _this_ time.

“Mhm,” he vaguely agreed. It was too early and too soon for them to truly get at each other’s throats just yet. Not actively engaging with Dori in the conversation would put off a real fight, which meant at least a week of rest in the only safe place Nori had.

“Don’t you ‘mhm’ me!” Dori slammed the pot of tea on the table, planting his hands on his hips and staring down at Nori. Completely ignoring him, Nori fought off a yawn as he poured himself a cup of tea – Dori made such _good_ tea, even if it wasn’t the more exotic flavors Nori preferred – and reached for a still-hot pastry off the plate at the edge of the table. Making an exasperated noise, Dori dragged it out of reach.

Nori groaned, glaring at his older brother. “ _What?_ ”

Dori’s hair was already meticulous as always. Nori pointedly did not think of what state his hair probably was in at the moment.

“You just had to go filling his head with unrealistic ideas of what the world is like out there! He doesn’t realize that others look down on us, the struggle. You only tell him the _exciting_ parts.” When he said exciting, sounding particularly grumpy, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed.

It was a good sign, at least, that Dori hadn’t referred to Nori’s less than legal activities. It meant he was unlikely to get tossed out today.

“I have no idea what you’re on about – what, exactly, is my fault?”

“Ori’s gone and signed himself up for this nonsense quest of the King’s!”

Nori froze, hand halfway to the plate of pastries, and looked up, horrified, at Dori’s furious face.

“No.”

“Oh yes.”

“He didn’t.”

“He very well did! Do you think I’d be bringing this all up if he hadn’t?”

Nori scoffed, draining his tea. Yes, Dori would have brought it all up regardless. He always did, eventually. But Nori could never stay in one place for too long, and he was unlikely to ever find an honest job when his mind was so inclined to thinking up heists and escape scenarios every time he entered a building. Nori enjoyed what he did, and it had saved them from starvation a few times over the years, so he wasn't going to regret it.

Anger fading, Dori sat and set his head in his hands. “He’s adamant about going – already signed a contract and everything.”

“Well then that there’s your fault,” Nori grumbled. “Too honorable, he is.”

They glared at each other without any heat. After a moment, Dori sighed and pushed the pastry plate closer. Nori refilled their cups with tea.

“Suppose there’s only one thing for it then,” Nori mused, chewing slowly. The pastry was a little too sweet for his tastes – but that was Dori. Nori remembered sneaking him sweets as a kid, they were always the best way to get on his good side.

“Yes.” Dori sounded resigned.

“Unless you want me to kidnap him,” Nori offered.      

Scowling, his brother demanded, “And what, take him on one of your thieving trips to Mahal knows where? No, thank you. That’d be even worse.”

Nori grinned and shrugged, licking crumbs off his fingers. He wouldn't take him _far_ , or even anywhere that dangerous.

“The King’s Hall opens for audiences mid-morning today.”

“Right then.” Nori stood. “I’ll wash up and we can go sign ourselves up on this fool venture.”

Dori hummed, sipping his tea. “Put the good beads in your hair, please. I’d hate for them to think we’re scoundrels.”

Nori laughed and bowed mockingly before leaving the room. Like anyone would mistake him for anything else. They may not know about the depths of his talent for theft, but it would be hard to miss that Nori wasn't entirely reputable, even with a nice set of beads.

“And you had better mind your manners, Nori!” Dori yelled after him.

 

Nori had been to the King’s Halls once – okay, twice, but he wasn’t going to admit to the second time.

Before Ori had been born, the dwarrow his ma had been with had decided he wanted Ori as his own kin and refused to leave them alone. It got bad enough that Myr had sent Nori out a window to tell someone in the Halls (anyone who looked important, she’d said) that Finri’s widow needed aid.

Back then, they’d seemed the most resplendent thing ever, towering overhead and carved carefully. The rich colors everyone seemed to wear, the fancy beads and jewels that glinted enticingly. He’d felt small, in a way he usually didn’t, and found himself instinctively backing into the shadows.

Except Ma had needed his help, and so he’d crept forward, unnoticed, until he found the first important looking person that didn’t seem all that busy – which had ended up being the same dwarrow he was facing now with Dori at his side.

Balin son of Fundin was whiter in the beard than all those years ago, but he still had the same polite and friendly smile. Nori didn’t entirely trust it like he had back then – he knew now what he hadn’t as a dwarfling, that Balin was a fearsome warrior and the King’s closest advisor. One couldn’t be those things while also being as trustworthy and kind as he tried to appear.

Dori started by ever so politely expressing his anger over not being informed of Ori’s recruitment to the “quest.” Need a scribe to record the journey Nori’s arse. Needed more people along so they didn’t look such fools and had more money going into the damned thing was far more likely. Before Balin could weave all those pretty words he had, Dori added that they would both be joining, of course, and would require two contracts.

Nori listened very carefully to what Balin said concerning the quest and what signing on would entail, turning the words around in his head to make sure there weren’t any traps in them. At least Dori was smart enough to insist on reading the contract thoroughly before signing it – Nori doubted Ori had. Poor lad was too trusting, and that was _entirely Dori’s fault_. Trusting the nobility to be honorable; ridiculous.

It wasn’t like there was any chance of them _not_ signing the contracts though. If Ori was going, so were they. Nori didn’t bother reading – he’d feel no obligation to stick to it, he was along only for his family.

After they left the King’s Halls, Nori disappeared into the crowd of the market, laughing when he glanced back and saw Dori looking around and scowling. He slipped down one of the narrow, winding alleys that wove through all of the settlement, twisting and turning and overlapping. Plenty of dwarrows got lost if they weren’t familiar with them. They were useful for getting places quicker, though.

And for, you know, escaping the city guards when the occasion called for it.

Nori’s specific destination was the dark edges of town, pressed against mines that had been abandoned and the paths that were too treacherous for sane folk to dare use. Nori knew of plenty of dwarrows that had ventured out into one or the other and not come back. Some believed that the rock here was not friendly to Durin’s Folk, and betrayed them at any opportunity. They said that only the rock they’d been born to would care for them – that the only safe rock was Erebor or Khazad-dûm.

Nori liked to believe wasn’t one to believe in nonsense like that, but perhaps a part of him was wary of it actually being true, for he never ventured into either unless desperate. And Nori had worked hard to make sure he was good enough not to become that desperate too often.

The buildings here were even more worn down than the area Dori and Ori lived and built close together, with narrow spaces between them and thin winding streets. Dwarrows peered out of shadows, but Nori paid them little mind. He was known well enough around these parts that he doubted anyone out during the day would mess with him.

It was the night market folk that had to be watched. Far more daring.

Nori slipped down one dim alley and came through on the other side, to the backside buildings that most of the general populace didn’t know about, that most guards couldn’t reach through the skin-scrapping alleyways, that were on the edges of the unstable rock of the mines and mountain passes.

Dagfinnr’s tavern was as seedy as they came, and a sore sight even at night, let alone in daylight. Nori slipped in, nodded once to the barmaid who glanced up, and descended to the lower level underground. There was the faint but steady sound of water dripping somewhere and the air was musty, but the room was brightly lit with a table and chairs in the center, goods stored to the far wall and close to the stairs.

Dag looked up as Nori came down, skipping over the wood rotted steps that wouldn’t hold any weight. He nodded in welcome before turning back to whatever he was working on at the table. Looked like a map of some sort, quickly sketched in some places and very detailed in others. Nori didn’t spare it much of a glance before going to the far back, where the walls were crumbled, a small opening that could be squeezed through in a pinch leading to the mining tunnels. They came out – if one could make it all the way through – on the east side of the market square.

Nori wasn’t interested in them today, and instead headed down one of the side tunnels that didn’t lead anywhere anymore. He had supplies and a pack stored in a small crevice there, along with a small store of gems and silver coins – much more manageable on the road than gold.

He took all of his things and slipped back into the store room, giving Dag a nod as he headed for the stairs again.

“Leaving again so soon?” Dag asked.

Nori paused. It was, admittedly, unusual for Nori to leave very soon after returning from longer journeys, but it was also very much not Dag’s business if he was. Nori trusted him more than he did most, but Dag wasn't a friend and would sell Nori out if there was a profit to it. Information was just as valuable as gems in this place.

So he glanced over and shrugged. “Why?”

“Had a job,” Dag said with his own dismissive gesture. “Wanted you on it, if you were around.”

“Sorry, not sure when I’ll be leaving but I’ve got some prior obligations now.” He hoped to keep news that he’d joined the King’s stupid quest quiet, at least until he could think of some good reason to give folks who asked. He probably wasn’t going to make it back – he’d be surprised if he did, if any of them did – but best to be careful. Nori was all about contingency plans; they were what had kept him alive so long in this business, and away from the city guards as often as he might have been.

Dag waved him off with a gruff dismissal and Nori slipped upstairs and out of the tavern. He had things to do with his afternoon. He had no traveling coat that was in decent shape. The last one he’d had, he’d traded on the way to Harad, where it was too warm for such things as layers of clothing. Dori would likely be able to hem one if it didn’t fit well, so Nori just wanted to get one that was thick and resilient.

And once Dori had hemmed it, Nori could fix it up for his own things. Pouches for hidden stashes and places to slip his knives.

Nori made it home some hours later, and Dori was already preparing dinner. He mentioned the coat he'd found that needed hemming. Dori told him to put it in the sitting room and he would get to it when he had some spare time. He’d informed his employer that he would be leaving on the King’s Quest, and they were thankfully allowing him to keep working until he had to leave. Nori settled at the table as Dori kept cooking and began sharpening and cleaning his knives.

Ori slid through the door right as it was beginning to grow dark, hanging his bag on the hook by the door and kicking off his boots like Dori always scolded Nori to do.

“I’m home! This noble came in for a commission today, Dori, and – Nori!” Ori grinned cheerfully, rushing forward to wrap his arms around his middle brother. “When did you get back?”

“Last night, _abanith_.” He patted Ori’s back, chuckling slightly.

Dori made a disapproving noise, but didn’t say anything, merely focusing more intently on the cooking. Ori glanced at him with a bit of a grin, before sitting at the table, focusing on Nori.

“Tell me about everything! You said you were going south this time, yeah?”

Nori grinned, settling back to start telling stories to Ori, when Dori twisted around and pointed a spoon at both of them. “You two can do this after dinner! Ori, go change and wash up, you have ink stains all over your fingers still. And Nori, _put those knives away!_ ”

Ori groaned, predictably, but got up to do as he was told. They could hear him stomp up the stairs to his room to change out of his work robes, and Nori chuckled while gathering up his things.

“Shall we tell him what we’ve done during dinner, or after it?” Dori sounded thoughtful as he turned back to the soup, stirring slowly.

Nori scoffed. “Unless you want him angry with us the rest of the night, I suggest we wait until shortly before he plans to sleep. I hate when he sulks.”

Dori snorted, unimpressed. “He does it more around you – you let him get away with it,” he accused.

Nori muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes, and took his things up to his room.

Dinner was the usual affair. Ori complained about the number of potatoes in the soup, Dori scolded him into eating it all – even the green bits that Ori tried avoiding even scooping into his bowl in the first place, and Nori tried to remind himself not to eat his meal as quickly as he would elsewhere. It always put one of those pinched looks on Dori’s face and led to arguments more often than not at some point.

They worked together to clean up the kitchen afterwards – washing and drying and wiping down the table and counters. Then Ori grabbed Nori by the arm and dragged him to the sitting room, sitting on the couch with him before the fire. Dori settled into the armchair and pulled the coat Nori had gotten closer, examining it and starting to hem it knowingly.

 Nori told Ori about the deserts of Harad, with their lively, noisy markets full of bright colors. Of the caravans that anyone could join with, so long as they didn’t cause problems, and travel between the towns. He spoke of the dwarves that could be found living down there, that traveled far from their mountains for trade every year, with their darker skin and tattooed arms and hands that denoted all about said dwarrow’s craft and skills.

He told him about the time he had to pretend to not speak Common to avoid a duel with an irritated Man in one of the towns, and how he’d ended up outsmarting his opponent and escaping with his coin purse.

Dori tutted and interrupted after that.

“Ori, before you go up for bed, there is something that is worth mentioning.” He set aside the work he’d done and folded his hands in his lap.

Nori leaned back, pulling out his pipe from a pocket of his tunic and lighting it. Dori shot him a short, disapproving glare of course, but Nori merely smirked and blew a smoke ring.

Ori looked at Dori curiously, head tilted. In that moment, to Nori, he looked very much so like the young dwarfling he had been, eternally questioning and wide eyed. Stubborn and smart, yet innocent and too honorable to be safe. Nori sighed soundlessly, and considered the ramifications of stealing all of their contracts and burning them. No contracts, no problems.

Dori and Ori would just go sign new ones, the honorable gits.

“I told Nori this morning of your decision to embark on the King’s Quest.”

Uncertain now, Ori glanced at Nori, who kept smoking his pipe and watched his brother with steady eyes that revealed nothing. Looking back at Dori, Ori wrung his hands once. “…Okay.”

“He and I have signed our own contracts just this morning. There was nothing for it. You already signed your own contract, and there is no way we are letting you go on this alone. It’s not right. You need _family_ with you!”

Ori gaped, hands stilling, and then shot to his feet, face quickly turning red. “I – I. I thought we settled this, Dori!”

 Calmly, Dori nodded. “Yes, of course. There was nothing I could do to change your mind, to have you beg Master Balin to reconsider, and you admitted you had already given your word and signed on. There was nothing more to discuss there.”

“I – you don’t even believe in this Quest!”

“No, I truly don’t,” Dori said. Still in the same calm, even voice. Nori remembered what that voice had been like when he’d been younger and – oh, okay, it was still as annoying as anything he’d ever encountered. “It’s a fool’s errand, even armies are unlikely to be able to defeat a dragon, and we are not guaranteed even one of those. I would not join if it weren’t for the fact that someone needs to keep an eye on you.”

Ori turned even redder, fists clenched at his sides. “I am not a dwarfling.”

“Nah, but you’re not exactly knowledgeable about the dangers of the road, are you?” Nori interjected. Ori shot him a hurt look, and he blew out a slow trail of smoke. “You’ve been safe here in the Blue Mountains, in this settlement, Ori. The road is different.”

“The road is dangerous,” Dori corrected with a frown. “You need family with you.”

“But-“

“No use arguin’,” Nori interjected. “We’ve already signed our own contracts and started makin’ arrangements. We’re comin’ with you, or none of us are leavin’ at all.” His voice was rough, and he sucked deeply at his pipe and gave Ori a steely stare.

Ori looked between the two of them, huffing and growling. “Fine. But can’t you see?” He tone turned desperate and eager. “This isn’t something we should regret! We are going to be part of history, _naddad_! Dori, you always told me stories when I was young about how we are of the House of Durin! Of how generations ago the King fell in love with a commoner and broke all the rules to be with her! Of how our family is one crafted in love! If we are truly Durins, then we cannot abandon our kin in this, their time of need!

“We may not be on the right side of the sheets,” – Dori shot Nori a disapproving look at those words, and Nori just shrugged – “but that doesn’t mean we are without honor!” Ori looked at Dori. “We are honorable dwarrows, Dori, you’ve always said. How could I claim to be honorable if I were to leave the kin of my ancestor’s house when they are in need?”

Dori sighed, giving Ori a small smile. “You make a good argument, _naddith_. I will try to see this quest in a better light, for your sake.”

Nori snorted. “Speak all the pretty words about it you two want,” he muttered. “But this is no adventure, nor a means of honoring a house that has never cared for us. This is a desperate death disguised as a noble cause.” Putting out his pipe, he gave a small bow to his brothers – Dori looking at him disapprovingly, Ori looking practically brokenhearted. “I shall see you come the morrow.”

He was almost to his room when Ori gently grabbed his arm. His eyes were wide and saddened.

“Do you truly think this isn’t an honorable thing we are doing? Nori, we are going to reclaim our homeland. Doesn’t that matter?”

Nori sighed, prying Ori’s hand off of his. “Ori, Erebor is merely a mountain. A lovely one, a safe one, with lots of jewels and lucrative mines, but it is still a mountain, nothing more. Not to me.” He gently knocked their heads together. “I will come on this journey with you, to whatever end. But it is only for you I go. _Amabel_ , _abanith_.”

Ori sighed as Nori stepped into his room. “ _Am_ _abel, nadad.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar) (*Edit: 12/30/14 - The Dwarrow Scholar updated the whole thing, so I'm fixing it up to match.)
> 
> abanith - (the) stone that is young  
> amabel - (the) dream of (all) dreams  
> nadad - brother  
> naddith - brother that is young  
> naddad - brothers


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nori is convinced everyone going on this stupid quest is crazy, and the Lady Dis is terrifying - not just because she reminds him of Dori, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and reviews! It's nice to know I'm not the only one who wants more Nori in the world.

There were many things Nori didn’t get.

He didn’t get why stealing to feed yourself was such a crime. He didn’t get why Ori signed up for this stupid venture of the King’s.

He definitely didn’t get why they had to meet regularly with the other idiots who had signed on, and he especially didn’t get why all these meetings had to take place in the King’s Halls.

Though, on the upside, each time Nori entered them he learned more about the guards and the layout. If he lived through this, and ever wanted to come back here, it’d be easy enough to think of a good heist.

Balin had the tone of someone used to being listened to, of a teacher that expected all due attention to be given. Nori listened for the first few minutes of each meeting, but it always seemed to be more about preparation and settling affairs. Dori told Nori he was planning to talk to Balin about what to do with their house while they were gone once the departure date was closer.

Nori spent most of his time during these meetings sitting in a corner with his feet on the table and a knife in his hands. The guards did not appreciate it; Nori had almost been tackled the first time he drew it out, and had been half out of his chair and heading for the nearest exit he’d noted before Balin had called for the guards to stop. Dori had been glaring viciously, though it had been at the guards as much as Nori.

The King was never at these meetings. He had left just days before Nori and Dori had signed on to see if the other dwarf clans would lend aid. Ridiculously fruitless and pointless trip, if anyone asked Nori. No one did.

He told Dori anyway.

Balin said their Company during these meetings wasn’t complete, and Nori assumed that meant more than just the King was missing. Still, he doubted there were many more than those gathered. Nori took the time that he was forced to waste in these meetings and made it useful. He sat there and watched. He learned plenty about the people he’d be traveling with while watching them during these meetings.

There as Balin himself, with his stately robes and simple yet impressive beard. With his sharp eyes and very polite and friendly smile, Nori wondered how many people had been fooled into trusting him. Certainly not Nori. The more he listened to Balin speak, the less he trusted him, honestly. It was all talk of honor and the gratitude of the House of Durin for those who had joined, of how they were to be joined by the aid the other dwarrows sent, and of what to expect on such a long journey. Of what rewards awaited them at the end, with no mention of how likely they all were to become irritants lodged between a dragon’s back teeth.

All pretty words and hidden steel.

Ori hung off every bit of it. At least Dori didn’t look nearly as enraptured, though he was too polite to show any disinterest or distrust. Nori couldn’t care less. He only came because who knew what Dori or Ori would agree to if he wasn’t there to stop them.

There were two dwarrows that were also of the House of Durin – Oin and Gloin. The former was a medic, old enough to require an ear horn. Nori was pretty sure he didn’t need it as badly or as often as he acted, but used it to get out of paying attention during these meetings. It would be good to have a medic on the journey, though it wouldn’t save any of them in the end. Nori made a note not to get on the medic’s bad side. They were a dangerous lot to anger.

Gloin was a banker, and before that he’d been a merchant, and if one asked he’d spend enough time to make anyone deaf talking about his wife and son. He had a ferocious looking red beard and rough hands, meaning he actually used them for something. He looked old enough to have been around when Erebor fell, though not by much more than Dori. He talked almost exclusively to his brother unless someone asked him a direct question.

The other three were family, and Nori thought he might have seen them around at some point or another. Bifur was the eldest, a cousin of the others from what Nori had learned, and the axe in his head was courtesy of Azanulbizar. Nori most definitely would be keeping his distance from him, taking care not to upset him. Those eyes might drift away from the speaker of a conversation, but there was nothing unintelligent in them. In fact, it was a very sharp and dangerous look, one Nori saw on plenty of dwarrows and men and even a few elves during his travels. Yes, Bifur was not one Nori planned on crossing.

Even if he did eat flowers like some flighty elf.

Bombur was large and quiet and steady. Nori was pretty sure he could rob him blind and mock him about it, and get nothing worse than a string of curses, if that. He didn’t look like the type to lean towards confrontation. Which made Nori curious about why he had joined the quest – but perhaps it was a thing like with he and Ori. Though, Nori couldn’t think of how Bombur intended to protect his family.

Bofur was entirely too cheerful, optimistic and laughing and likely to be a very easy mark to trick. He’d be the type to offer to buy one an ale and then be easily distracted so you could rob him quick as a heartbeat. He had the movement and the ingrained dirt of a miner in his hands, which meant he was probably decently strong and would know his way around a pickaxe. It was better than nothing, but still. Nori sighed.

They were all definitely going to die.

Ori eventually got over his irritation that they’d signed on to this madness only to keep an eye on him and instead grew excited to have them along, with him. He asked Balin for copies of maps towards where they were going, and the older dwarrow had given them over with a kind smile. Ori spent several nights pouring over them, tracing out routes they might take, pointing out landmarks that he knew historical facts about.

Then he dragged Nori into it.

“Have you ever seen it, _nadad?_ ”

“Hm?” Nori glanced over from the hidden pockets he was sewing into his coat. Ori was pointing to a mark on the map and Nori peered at it before shrugging. “Not up close, but yeah.”

“What was it like? Is it cold there? Do you think we’ll go that far north?”

And so Nori was dragged into talking about the places he’d seen that they might see on the way to the mountain. Ori hung on every detail and demanded more, sometimes of the most innocuous things.

“Does it get very foggy there?” or “What do the rocks feel like?” Nori gave him quizzical looks but explained as best he could.

It was difficult gathering everything they’d need for a journey of so far. Nori made long journeys often, but he traveled with caravans and stopped in as many cities and towns along the way. He traveled with only himself to worry about, and he wasn’t concerned with taking what he needed if push came to shove. It left him free to pack a little less meticulously.

This was different. It was frustrating, because he knew that eventually they’d have to either sell things they’d always fought hard to keep, or he’d have to resort to acquiring things by his means. The former was not something he or Dori wanted to happen. The latter would piss off Dori, and possibly cause problems if he got caught. Nori didn’t want to wind up in jail and miss the departure date, leaving his brothers without anyone to keep an eye on them.

Even Dori. He wasn’t as bad as Ori, but he believed too much in the honor of people in charge. If Nori didn’t go, they’d somehow end up in more trouble than he could imagine. Probably sacrifice themselves to save the King or Balin or something. No, Nori definitely had to be on this quest.

So Nori hid their mother’s beads, found where Dori had hid Finri’s beads and hid them as well. Talked Dori out of selling Ma’s courting gift - a sword Finri had made her to display his skill, because they would need weapons, good weapons, and Finri’s was of impeccable quality.

Dori sold all the spices and teas he sold on weekends, at far less than he usually tried to get for them. They needed the money sooner, and Dori couldn’t bring it all with him. Nori actually went with him to the market stall the next two weekends, glaring at anyone that tried to jip Dori too much and pointedly playing around with one or two of his knives. Dori scolded and glared and Nori ignored him entirely. A customer would walk up and Dori would be all smiles and manners while Nori would watch the interaction closely for any sign of it going poorly.

They got most everything, though the house was a little barer and their pockets lighter. Nori finally went to get the rest.

The night market was dangerous. Getting what you wanted was a matter of knowing where to go, who to talk to, and which threats to offer to actually get it in your own hands. Nori was well enough known that it took very little to get what he was after for his brothers.

Then it was what he needed for himself, which was more difficult, if only because of who he had to go to.

Hrar was as shady as they came and Nori would sooner stick a knife in him than work with him on a job. Dwarrows that worked with Hrar tended to die mysteriously as often as they lived. He was a thin haired, dark, beady eyed dwarrow, with scarred hands and deeply sun-tanned skin. Nori suspected he’d spent a lot of time in Near Harad, if the faint inflections when he spoke were any clue. The style of the crow tattoo on his arm was similar to those found in Near Harad as well, though it could have easily been done by someone from there and not because the dwarrow lived there.

But Hrar made brilliant poisons, and there was no way Nori was leaving on this stupid venture without a few of them. One or two for his knives, some to slip into drink perhaps.

Hrar smiled at him with thin lips, revealing his two missing teeth. Nori kept one hand on the dagger Hrar had tried to use to kill him once. It was thin and sharp and very dangerous. He had the scar to prove it.

He was lucky Hrar hadn’t coated it in poison. Nori didn’t make that mistake.

Licking his lips, Hrar held out a hand. “Let’s see, let’s see. Not even showing you the work until you prove you won’t just take it from me. You’ve got all those shiny knives and all, while I have nothing.”

Nori snorted, but let him take a look at a few coins in his free hand. They both kept a careful distance from one another, just out of reach.

Hrar nodded, eager, and grinned wide. “And what venom does Nori want tonight, hmm? How does Nori feel like killing?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not killing anyone, Hrar, and if you go spreading those rumors I’ll be sure to cut out your tongue this time.”

“Of course, of course,” Hrar appeased, half bowing and shuffling his feet. Nori wasn’t fooled at all. “Would you like more of that lovely slick for your knives, perchance? Or maybe something that sinks through skin? Dangerous, it is, but quick and effective. Just have to be sure not to let it touch anyone you like, or yourself!” Hrar chuckled, but his eyes were sharp enough that Nori suspected Hrar was contemplating how he could get Nori to touch it.

“The usual,” he said firmly. “I know you’re always carryin’ it, so hand it over.”

It took another twenty minutes to actually get Hrar to exchange the poisons Nori wanted for the coins, and only five of that was a price haggle. The rest was Hrar’s attempts of trickery and to gain an upperhand. Nori wanted none of it.

He made sure the stoppers of the bottles were tight and well-sealed, that they were the right ones, and that they weren’t watered down. Those were all tricks Hrar was well known for pulling. Nori wasn’t new at this, and he’d dealt with Hrar enough to know exactly what the poisons should look like.

“Pleasure,” he nodded, and both backed away to opposite ends of the narrow alley. Nori kept his hand on the dagger until he was several streets away.

 

Dori lectured him the entire way to the next meeting.

“I can’t believe you – Nori if you’d gotten caught! Do you even think these things through?”

Nori glanced at him, pointedly raising a brow. “No, Dori. I just decide to steal from whatever person I see first.”

“Don’t get smart with me.” Dori’s eyes narrowed warningly. Nori made a face. Dori huffed and tried to continue the lecture, but it was getting rather tiresome, so Nori slipped ahead to swing an arm around Ori’s shoulders.

“Don’t think I’m done with you!” Dori called after him.

Ori glanced over with a small smile. “What did you steal to rile him up this time?”

“Things we’d need. He’s just being grumpy.”

Ori chuckled. “He’s just worried you’re going to get into trouble.  He always worries you’re going to.”

“No faith,” Nori sighed, giving a sad shake of his head. When Ori laughed quietly again, he grinned, shaking his brother lightly by the shoulders. “Obviously he should have spent more time worrying about you.”           

Ori gave a very dramatic roll of his eyes, groaning. “He never let me do anything, Nori. And I know you’re both worried about this quest,” he added before Nori could interrupt, “but I think you’re both overreacting. Oin’s said the portents-“

“It’s a bunch of superstitions nonsense,” Nori snapped. His opinion on the medic had dropped a bit since he’d learned the old dwarrow was so ridiculously superstitious. “The Durins’ just want their mountain back, Ori, and they don’t particularly care how they get it or who they have to use to do so.”

“We’re Durins, too,” Ori said, quietly but firmly. Nori sighed soundlessly, because they’d had this argument at least a dozen times over the past few weeks. “Dori misses Erebor,” he added.

Nori winced, because that was true. Dori missed the safety of the mountain, and the life he remembered there. Dori’s father Finri had been well known and though not noble they had still been quite respectable. Dori had been _happy_ in Erebor, had a future there, and that was not the case at all in Ered Luin. Dori wanted that all back.

Nori was not respectable. Nori couldn’t imagine _being_ respectable. He suspected it was very boring.

“When we take the mountain back,” Ori added, sounding excited, “Dori can finally sell his teas and spices and not have to work at whatever he can do to make money.”

Nori patted Ori on the shoulder, once again relenting in the argument for his brother’s sake. It was _not_ because he hated when Ori sulked or was upset with him. He was not so easily manipulated by his baby brother.

Dori laughed as Nori rejoined him. At least he didn’t start lecturing him again.

Bofur raised his pipe to them in cheerful greeting as they made their way to their usual seats, Ori waving back and Dori nodding politely. Ori immediately rushed to Balin to return the maps he’d borrowed last time, discussing something enthusiastically that had Balin smiling patiently.

For once, Nori was not concerned with keeping a close eye on Balin.

He was far more interested in watching the three new dwarrows standing behind him, surrounded by _five_ (bit excessive, really) extra guards.

He knew perfectly well who they were. The royal family was known to all the dwarrows of Ered Luin, especially the ever mischievous young Princes. The heir with his rare and bright golden hair and his brother who had taken to the bow instead of a more traditional weapon were unmistakable. It wasn’t that dwarrows didn’t utilize a bow and arrow as a strategic weapon of defense, but it was not something expected of a noble, let alone a direct descendant of the Line of Durin.

And if the two Princes were here, that meant that the dwarrowdam with them had to be none other than Dis.

Nori had never seen Dis, and he didn’t know anyone who had, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any rumors and gossip that traveled into even his shady circles. She’d been a child when Erebor fell, not much older than Dori, and she’d still been young when Azanulbizar happened. Yet she’d taken charge of the dwarrows that stayed behind, organized them and kept them fed and safe.

Nori had heard many things about her. He had heard that when she used a blade she had the grace of a dancer, that she had a stare that could crack stone, that she hadn’t shed a tear when only one brother came back from Azanulbizar. He had heard that she was beautiful and stoic as the mountains themselves, that she was proud and unbending and terrifying.

He couldn’t attest to the truth of many of those rumors. If she had a weapon he did not see it, and though she was beautiful, right then she looked quite opposite of stoic and proud.

She reminded him of a slightly more terrifying Dori, and he watched in mild horror as she snatched one of the princes by the ear, the other by a braid, and doubled over with narrowed eyes to speak softly in their ears.

The youngest prince heaved a full bodied sigh. “ _Amad_ ,” he whined. Nori was familiar with that whine. Ori did it a lot. “You’re embarrassing us!”

He was familiar with the way Dis’ eyes narrowed, too, because usually that’s how Dori looked at _him_ when he said he was going out for the night.

“I’ll do more than embarrass you, Kili, if you bother Mister Bombur one more time for cakes. You were brought to this meeting because it is important. Now behave!”

“Yes _amad_.” The Princes spoke quietly, deferentially, and Nori suspected they would behave.

Until the meeting was declared over and then they would probably get into some terrible mischief.

With a suspicious look at them and a firm nod, she released them and they hurried over to Gloin. The Lady Dis, however, glanced around the room thoughtfully before catching Nori’s eye.

He looked away quickly, but it was too late. She was walking this way. Nori wondered if Dori would be a good avoidance tactic and decided it would be worth a shot. Dori wouldn’t want Nori talking to the Lady Dis for fear of him doing something profoundly embarrassing, and while Dori distracted her for a bit Nori would find somewhere else to be.

Well, somewhere else to be as much as he could while stuck in this room. He could appear busy. By talking to someone else.

Which he hadn’t done yet, but never had he heard of a better time to start.

So, Nori ducked behind Dori and clapped a hand to his shoulder, interrupting whatever he was talking to Ori about. It sounded like something to do with being sure to leave room in his pack for important things, like extra socks or something, instead of extra journals.

“Dori, isn’t that the Lady Dis? Ain’t she in charge since her brother’s gone off on his stupid-“

Dori hushed him quickly and glared. “Watch your tongue, Nori!” When he turned, it was with a bright but still perfectly respectable smile and a bow to the now very-close Dis.

Nori slipped away while introductions were being made and slid himself into the chair by Bofur.

The miner raised a brow at him, shifting the pipe in his mouth a bit before speaking.

“This is a surprise.”

Nori looked at him, waiting to see what else he’d say. Bofur had been the best choice for keeping busy and away from the Lady Dis until the meeting was underway. Now he was wondering if he had made a mistake. Perhaps Bombur would have been better, but the other dwarrow was too quiet to work as an excuse to not talk to her.

A sly and knowing grin slid over Bofur’s face. “Avoiding her Lady Dis now, are we?”

Nori’s eyes narrowed, but Bofur just laughed, leaning back in his seat and tapping the side of his nose. He gestured with his pipe as he spoke.

“Aye, I wanted somewhere to run an’ hide when she first walked up to talk to me, yeah? Hid behind Bombur, actually, but Bifur dragged me front an’ center. She talks with all the members of the Company. Friendlier than her brother, at least.”

Bifur leaned over, signing something quickly enough that Nori, who wasn’t paying too close attention to him, missed it.

Bofur laughed though and nodded. “Oh, aye, I reckon so.” He glanced over and winked at Nori. “I’d wager even the dragon would cower if the Lady Dis were in front of it.”

Nori huffed, torn between laughing and rolling his eyes. It’d eat Dis, and why all these dwarrows seemed to keep forgetting that the dragon – if not seen for sixty years – was probably pretty hungry, Nori could not understand.

Bofur grinned at him. “She’d definitely keep those lads of her in line. Not so sure how that’ll work for our King, yeah?”

He looked at the miner sharply. “The Princes? The _Princes_ are coming, too?”

Laughing loudly – even Bifur chuckled amusedly – Bofur nodded. “Aye. Suspect we’ll be dealing with a lot of pranks on the road.”

Mahal help them.

Nori isn’t sure what he’d have said to that – he was still gaping, just a bit, and he was considering just getting up and walking away from all these crazy dwarrows – but thankfully he didn’t have to say anything. Balin cleared his throat and everyone settled. Ori hurried over to take the seat next to him, smiling past him shyly at Bofur. Dori sat on the other side, giving Nori a black look.

Nori grinned widely as he leaned back, propping his feet on the table. He wasn’t in his usual corner, which meant his back wasn’t to the wall and that _bothered_ him. But he wasn’t going to show that, he would get through this stupid meeting and be out of the room before Lady Dis could find an excuse to talk to him.

The meeting went along as they usually did, except Lady Dis interrupted Balin twice – and Nori had to fight back a smirk each time because it was _funny_ , no one ever dared interrupt Balin at these things and here Lady Dis comes along and does it twice. Her sons were snickering too which made Nori think it wasn’t that unusual. She spoke both calmly and forcefully, making sure to catch all of their eyes at some point while talking. Even Nori’s. She raised a brow the first time, and it was also a look that Nori was familiar with. It was the ‘I know you’re avoiding me, don’t think this will last’ look. Dori gave it to him all the time.

Their Ma had been quite good at it, too, actually.

But still, Nori wasn’t giving this meeting much more of his attention than usual until someone mentioned _wizards_.

Or, at least, one wizard. Tharkûn.

Nori, again, had never met him, but there were plenty of rumors about him _everywhere_ Nori traveled which honestly did not bode well. Particular words stood out in his memory – danger, riddles, elves.

Yeah, Nori was _not_ thinking this quest looked any better.

No one else seemed to agree, though he thought Dis looked equally skeptical about the wizard. At least someone had a little bit of sense here.

He quickly looked away once he realized Dis was staring back, an amused tilt to the corner of her lips.

The Princes seemed particularly excited. They were whispering to one another, the younger grinning hugely and gesturing with a hand in small jerks, like he was trying to be subtle and unable to completely stop himself. Balin cleared his throat and shot them stern looks. They shifted and stopped whispering.

Nori definitely didn’t trust it, and sure enough Balin got maybe five words out before the youngest prince spoke, his words bursting forth with excitement.

“With the wizards approval we’ll have to succeed! He’s going to find us a burglar!”

Ori made a squeaking noise. Dori was very pointedly not looking at him. Nori sucked on a cut on his thumb he’d gotten glaring at Ori being so damned _obvious_.

They’d all agreed it was best none in the Company – oh great now Nori was calling them that, Mahal help him – knew that he was a particularly notorious thief in certain parts of Ered Luin. Really they were lucky the royal guards didn’t interact much at all with the city guards, much like nobles didn’t actually interact with the common folk if it could be helped. Nori was pretty sure he’d be tossed in a jail cell instead of allowed to go along.

Dis cleared her throat pointedly, standing, and the young prince turned red and quickly sat down. His brother set a hand on his shoulder, giving a single reassuring squeeze before focusing on their mother, calm and steady where the younger was quick, endless movements. Nori told himself he did _not_ hear his little brother sigh slightly, and if he did it was because this meeting was never going to end.

“Yes, Tharkûn approached my brother, our King, and told him this was the time for action. He urged Thorin to move, soon, and so we have been working towards this for years. We have only the last member of this company to find, and the Wizard has assured us that he has this well in hand. He will send word soon and when he does you will set out to meet our last member. Until then, we will continue to meet here, to discuss concerns that you have and how prepared you all are. I believe it would be wise for you all to get to know one another, to spar together if at all possible. The road is a dangerous place, as many of you know. It would not do to be unfamiliar with your fellow company members and hurt one unintentionally.”

Balin gave a single, solemn nod of agreement as the Lady sat. “Yes. Our plan is to meet in three days’ time, at the royal training grounds. There we can assess your skills and learn to work as a unit.”

Nori rolled his eyes. That wouldn’t be possible; they were missing people. Nori wasn’t about to trust anyone but his brothers, that was for sure. Balin made it sound all nice and welcoming, but it was clear to Nori that wasn’t entirely the case. The families mostly stuck to one another, and the nobles kept to themselves, away from the rest of them.

Except the Princes, for the minute Balin made moves to dismiss them, they were on their feet and headed… this way.

Ori turned red and ducked his head a bit when they stepped up to him, one on either side. Nori watched closely – Dori was talking to Balin about arrangements for their house – but Ori seemed to have it well enough in hand. He’d straightened after a few initial moments of shyness, and was now looking between the Princes as they spoke, appearing baffled if amused. Nori chuckled when Ori rolled his eyes, swatting the youngest prince’s hand away. Dori used to-

“I promise they’re mostly harmless.”

Nori did not jump, no, but he did jerk around so the Lady Dis wasn’t behind his shoulder. The guards behind her didn’t even twitch. Guards should not move so quietly, it was not fair nor was it _right_. They were supposed to be clunky things.

The Lady Dis smiled slightly at him, again with that barest laughing curl at the corner of her lips.

Nori turned red and bowed quickly. He could just _hear_ Dori’s lecturing tone in his head about manners. Staring at the Lady and forgetting to bow for such a length of time.

“Nori, son of Finri.” He didn’t add the traditional ‘at your service’ but it was better that way. Lying like that was rude after all.

The guards glared at him, but the Lady Dis seemed amused still. She nodded her head in acceptance, before gesturing at her sons again.

“They’re mostly harmless,” she repeated. “You have no need to worry about your brother.”

Nori snorted, unable to help himself, and gave her a disbelieving look. “I’ll worry about him regardless, your Highness.”

She laughed. It was low and a bit husky, but very warm and Nori frowned because he didn’t want to like her. She was a noble – a Durin – and was part of this whole madness. She should not have such a friendly, likable laugh.

Lady Dis smiled at him, a real one that crinkled the corners of her eyes and made the resemblance between her sons and her more apparent. “Aye, I suppose that is the right of siblings. The only ones allowed to bring them into mischief are you, yourself.” For a moment, she was sad and distant, but then she blinked and it was washed away. “But this wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about, Nori of Finri.”

“Oh?” His fingers unconsciously reached into a pocket to trace over a knife, his eyes flicking to the closest exit. He kept his stance deliberately relaxed even though he could feel the muscles between his shoulders tightening. “What was it, then, your Highness?”

She stared at him, Durin blue eyes and sharp intelligence and Nori had the thought that if she’d wanted, she’d have made a very dangerous thief.

“There are many warriors on this quest of my brother’s,” she said. Her voice wasn’t a whisper, but nor was it pitched to be heard by any who might be trying to listen in. The guards looked as if they heard nothing, though they weren’t that far away. Perhaps they were well trained in keeping stoic expressions on their faces. Nori was intrigued now, though, because before she’d referred to the quest as if she were part of it, as if they all were, and now it belonged to her brother.

He was curious, he couldn’t help it.

“Mmm.” He reached up to tug at one of his braids, raising a brow at her. It was a look he’d learned to adopt, one that let people keep talking but didn’t show too much interest. Never did to look too eager, after all.

She just got that amused tilt to her smile again. “Yes,” she drawled. “And that is all well and good, but my sons are not warriors.” Her voice hardened. “They’re young and foolish and I want them to come back to me, Nori of Finri. So when it is noon tomorrow I expect to see you already at those training grounds, ready to teach my sons any dirty tricks you have.”

His brows shot up and his fingers stilled. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me perfectly well, don’t pretend to be dense. You’re going to teach my sons how to win any fight, starting tomorrow, and I will make sure no one finds out about your less than reputable talent for robbing folks blind.” She leaned closer. “You and I both know this quest is far from as easy as Balin makes it sound. I would like some of you to survive, but I will admit I selfishly want my sons to come back to me more than I care about anyone else. They are reckless. They want to please their uncle. I cannot stop them, not once he gave his permission, but I can make sure they are as prepared as possible. Do this, and I will make sure that your family is forever in the debt of the royal line of Durin.”

When he hesitated, eying her suspiciously, she raised her brow at him almost mockingly, except for how serious her eyes were. “Think of what that could be worth, with a kingdom starting or even with a bunch of fools returning from a hopeless quest. Teach my sons, and I will owe you a boon.” Her eyes were hard, her posture straight and unyielding, and Nori knew that with a single gesture and no explanation she could have her guards throw him in a cell until he agreed willingly or not.

It likely wasn’t worth it. They were all going to die anyway. But Nori was a thief and he knew the price of each gem the Lady Dis was wearing. He knew how much he could get for the well-crafted weapons of all the guards in the room. He could steal all these things and sell them and still all that coin would not be worth what the Lady was offering.

It was as good as any protection he could find for his brothers.

If they survived, it was better than mithril.

Nori grinned. The guards behind Lady Dis tensed, hands shifting towards their weapons. Lady Dis, however, straightened with a self-satisfied smile.

With a bow, Nori said, “You have yourself a deal, your Highness,” and then he grabbed Ori’s arm and dragged him away from the Princes, out the door, to return home for dinner. Dori would show up when he could, but right now Nori was hungry and he wanted some distance between Lady Dis and himself.

He could definitely attest to her being terrifying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> amad - (the) mother  
> nadad - brother  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nori does not grow fond of the idiot Princes, doesn't make possible friends, and interrupts Balin. Then goes to get very drunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! The chapter gave me some troubles, and then life got a bit on the frustrating side for a week or two. But here it is, a nice shiny new update.

Nori leaned against a pillar near his brothers as they waited for more of the Company to arrive for their little training session. Even a fool would be able to see there was a lot of work ahead. They stayed in their small groups as they always had, rarely interacting with the others. Nori knew that any fights they were in would end up being every dwarrow for himself and his family. They were not a Company, they were just a group of dwarrows.

Lady Dis was determined to change that.

She strode onto the training grounds, deeply engrossed in her conversation with Balin. The hard set of her eyes would normally have made Nori wince in sympathy, but this was Balin so he felt it was more appropriate to chuckle quietly.

Dori followed his gaze to the approaching group, and sighed. “Please, try to be polite. I’d prefer you didn’t get thrown into prison for insulting Princess Dis.”

Nori snorted – because honestly, if she hadn’t done it yet he doubted she was going to at all, no matter what he did – and clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I make no promises.” He grinned.

“Nori!”

Ori made a rather strangled sound as Kili ran over, almost skidding to a stop in front of Nori. The youngest prince had nearly boundless energy, along with near impossible levels of enthusiasm. He was also, Nori had started to realize, as stubborn as any rock when he wanted to be. It took some creativity on Nori’s part to get him to focus.

Nori raised a brow in silent question.

Shoving his hair out of his face – the stupid prince refused to listen when Nori told him he should keep it braided back if he wanted to make it through a fight – Kili grinned brightly and held out a hand.

“Can I borrow a knife? I want to practice that one move, and Fili’s are the wrong size.”

Nori rolled his eyes. The move in question had been him showing off a bit, in an attempt to get the Princes to actually do what he said. They were young, they were easily swayed by impressive tricks. There was no way Kili would be managing that move for a while, but if he wanted to practice it, at the very least it’d get the idiot more familiar with using a knife and hopefully he’d even actually start putting effort into the easier moves.

Pulling a knife from his belt, he handed it over with a smooth flip and shook his head as the young prince ran back to Fili, the two of them moving to their usual practice dummies and talking with their heads bent close together.

It was dead quiet.

Nori looked up, meeting all the various gazes pinned on him. Some were shocked, others hard and cold. Balin’s was suspicious, though the Lady Dis just seemed resigned as she stared not at Nori but her sons. His fingers twitched as he fought off the urge to grab hold of one of his knives and get into a ready stance.

Dori looked away from Nori – his expression had quickly been turning from confused to vaguely accusing – and glared at all the others. Without looking away, he grabbed both his brothers’ arms and dragged them to a far, shaded corner of the grounds.

“Nori, you best show Ori how to handle those knives of yours, and anything else you know of that could work for him.”

Nori nodded, still keeping one eye on all the others.

Lady Dis pointedly glared at them all. “Well? Are you all waiting for permission? Best start training.” She went to settle in the shade near her sons, her guards following calmly behind her.

Dori didn’t move from where his brothers were standing. He stood there, waiting. Nori tensed as finally one of the nobles approached, angry Gloin with his red hair and fierce eyes. Before he could get close though, Dori intercepted with a pleasant smile.

Ori and Nori both winced.

“Dori’s going to kill him,” Ori muttered, correcting his hold on the knife when Nori tapped his fingers.

Snorting, Nori shook his head. “Nah. Wouldn’t be proper.”

Ori shot him a small grin. “If he insults you, Dori will find a way to make it proper.”

Giving his brother’s shoulder a gentle shove, Nori gestured at the practice dummy. “Enough chatter, go an’ practice on that thing.”

Dori sparred with Gloin three times. After the third time of being thrown in the dirt by Dori, the others stopped even glancing Nori’s way. There were a lot of appreciative murmurs, even by the guards, concerning Dori’s strength and poise during physical fighting.

Dori shook hands with Gloin when the other finally called it quits, then returned to his brothers.

“Well, that’s that. Nori, come here while Ori practices so we can brush up your fighting.”

Nori grimaced. This was going to be terrible.

When he wound up in the dirt for the fifth time, hearing the laughter of the princes, he had had enough. Taking Dori’s assisting hand to his feet, he brushed off his clothes and tilted his head towards them.

“If we’re to be learning to fight as a Company, then shouldn’t you be givin’ lessons to some of the others?”

Dori frowned. “I’m more concerned about you and Ori.”

“And you know I can take care of myself, and I got Ori well in hand here. The Princes’ fighting is abysmal, let me tell you. Lady Dis wouldn’t turn down you teachin’ them.”

He ignored Dori’s look easily enough. Pointedly, he looked to where the Princes were still practicing. Kili was sprawled on the ground, babbling away, and it looked like he was considering if he could shoot an arrow at a target from his current position, and upside down to boot. Fili was glaring at the practice dummy, knife in each hand.

Dori made a tutting sound, shot Nori a glare, and marched over their way.

Nori watched with a grin as Kili scrambled to his feet and both Princes shot their mother desperate looks. She smiled at Dori and gestured a go ahead. Nori laughed at the desolated expressions the Princes adopted.

“You’ve been teaching them?” Ori asked quietly at his shoulder.

Nori shrugged. “The Lady Dis asked for a favor. The things I could teach them aren’t things you could trust many people with.”

Ori nodded. They were silent for a while before Ori glanced at him, smiling a bit. “No wonder you’ve been irritated the last few days.”

“They’re complete idiots, be surprised if they didn’t fall off a mountain honestly.” Nori replied promptly. When Ori’s laughter died down, he added more seriously, “Kili doesn’t like using other weapons, but once you get him determined to learn something he’s relentless about it. Fili’s stubborn, worries about what his uncle and teachers would think of him learning such dishonorable methods of fighting. But his ma told him to learn them, so he does. Has a talent for knives so that’s one less problem there.”

“And with Dori teaching them hand-to-hand, they won’t be completely helpless without weapons, too.”

“Too hung up on their proper training.” Nori shook his head. “Dori’s had none, he just goes with what gets results.”

Ori nodded, then tilted his head towards where some of the others were practicing. “Why don’t we go spar with the Urs? Get some actual practice with the rest of the Company, like we’re supposed to.”

Nori muttered under his breath about how he didn’t see the nobles making much effort with that, but followed after his younger brother. The Urs were in a sunny, clear spot of the training grounds, dirty and sweaty. Bofur leaned against his mattock.

“Glad yer brother isn’t sparring with me,” he said in greeting. He nodded to where Gloin, Oin, and Balin were sparring. “Gloin’ll have a fun time explainin’ that black eye to his son.”

Ori laughed. Nori rolled his eyes. Bifur caught his gaze and Nori appreciated that he signed slower than he usually did with his brothers.

_Would you like to spar?_

Nori hesitated just a moment. He trusted his brothers, but the rest of the Company? Not so much. And Bifur was dangerous, no matter what the others seemed to say or think. Nori knew that when he sparred with Dori, he wasn’t going to get seriously hurt. Perhaps a bruise or two when he didn’t duck fast enough or hit the ground particularly hard, but nothing else.

However, he could feel Ori’s gaze on him, and if Ori told Dori Nori was refusing to practice with the others, it’d be worse in the long run.

If Bifur roughed him up too much, Dori would take offense and (at least attempt; it might be a fair draw between Dori’s strength and Bifur’s relentless attack method) do to Bifur what he’d spent the start of the afternoon doing to Gloin.

So he shrugged and nodded briefly. Bifur lead the way a bit off from the others. Bombur offered Ori a snack, and Ori dropped down beside him, talking about supplies for the journey it seemed. Likely he wouldn’t get into any trouble for the next several minutes.

Bifur and Nori circled each other. Nori was used to sparring like this with Dori, who tended to stay in place and use his strength to his advantage. Bifur moved, but he had that steady look of someone like Dori, who was willing to wait. Nori hated fighting those types. It turned into a patience game and he was never good at those.

He ducked forward, and Bifur smoothly stepped aside. Bifur’s fist came at him, and Nori danced back again, just out of the path. Both of them paused for a second, reassessing, and then they started pacing each other.

Nori wasn’t a fool – he knew that he fought better with weapons than without. He didn’t have his brother’s strength, inherited from both Finri and their mother. Even Ori had a tad more strength than he did, though Ori had as much inclination to fight as Nori did to going honorable.

Bifur obviously knew how to fight in a way that made him the weapon. Nori could only dodge and throw him to the side for so long before tiring, and without a weapon he had no way of besting the other dwarrow.

It was hot in the sun, and sweat was irritating his brow and making his clothes stick uncomfortably. His shoulder was sore from a particularly harsh and desperate throw on his part, which had hardly phased Bifur, as he’d rolled straight to his feet with it. He managed to block another blow, but was too slow to keep him from snatching his wrist and locking his arm. Nori went a bit wild, struggling and forgetting for a few moments to play by the rules.

Bifur didn’t seem to mind. After a bit longer, he let Nori go and took a large step back, hands raised. Nori panted, straightened his clothes uneasily. He was aware now of the stares of most of the rest of the Company. Now would be a good time to slip into the shadows, disappear from sight, let them all forget about him until they saw him next time there was a ridiculous meeting.

Bifur signed at him again. Nori blinked, not sure he’d interpreted that right, but no, he signed it again and he got the same thing.

_You’re fast, but not good at attacking. I can help?_

Slowly, Nori nodded, and Bifur gave a single nod back. Bofur clapped his hands together loudly, startling several of their audience.

“Well! Looks like your brother’s done tormenting the princes. Perhaps we should go see if he’ll spar with us.” He took Bombur and Ori both over to Dori, and everyone else slowly slipped back to their places, though the lingering looks itched the back of Nori’s neck uncomfortably and made him fight not to squirm.

Bifur was very patient, and far less prone to throwing Nori to the ground than Dori was which was always a plus. He’d adjust Nori’s hold or position with a grunt and sometimes a mutter in Khuzdul, though in no dialect Nori knew. By the time they all stopped for the day, Nori was pretty confident that he could count on Bifur to probably not kill him at some point.

Kili dashed up to Nori again to return his knife, which made the nobles grumble a bit. Nori nodded his thanks and slid it out of sight, catching the Lady Dis’ eye and rolling his eyes at her pointed smirk. He didn’t do it because he liked the Princes, he did it because she was rather terrifying.

Dori tsked under his breath. “Would it have been so hard to bring up that you’ve been training the Princes the past few days during dinner? ‘Oh, by the way Dori, Lady Dis requested that I personally teach them how to use knives.’ I swear the others were half ready to kill you on the spot.”

Nori grinned and nudged Dori’s side, ignoring the irritated huff. “Where’s the fun in that?”

 

It was over a fortnight later that Lady Dis stormed into the training grounds, Fili and Kili all but tripping at her heels and babbling excitedly to each other. Nori’s brows rose at the thunderous look on Dis’ face. Even the guards that were always around her – and were undoubtedly and completely loyal to her and only her – looked unsettled.

“You two!” she barked at her sons. “Stop jabbering and go practice!”

“Yes _amad_!” the chorused and scurried to the middle of the training grounds, picking up their blunted practice knives and starting to spar with each other. Nori kept an eye on them as Dis approached. They were doing good, managing to use what Dori had taught them at the few group training sessions and pairing it with what Nori taught them.

Dis stopped next to him, arms folded and a dark scowl on her face. Her guards stayed their usual distance away, far enough to not be smothering but close enough to hear any conversations that were not made to be particularly quiet.

“Tharkûn sent word. He’s found a burglar for the quest. The Company is to meet with him in Bree, before gathering at the burglar’s place.”

Nori frowned. There wasn’t a lot around Bree – it was a small village of men on the outskirts of the Shire. Perhaps it was a Ranger, yet Nori hadn’t found those types to be prone to burglary, nor were they ones to truly have a “place” where over a dozen dwarrows could gather.

“Not exactly what I’d be expecting.”

Dis hummed an agreement. “Thorin won’t trust any Man to come along on this quest. I can only hope the wizard is more clever than he’s appearing at this point in time.”

Nori snorted, which finally made Lady Dis’ scowl lessen. Her lips tugged at the corner.

“I know your brothers are your priority,” she murmured several minutes later. “But please, if you can. Keep an eye on them. They’re still young and foolish, and desperate to please Thorin. My brother loves them, but he’s not the most affectionate sort any longer.”

Nori said nothing, but Dis didn’t expect an answer and so the quiet was peaceful. The Princes' spar ended – Kili lost his knife sooner, but he had definitely taken to the more dirty methods of fighting than his brother, and had managed to win the physical spar by throwing a handful of dirt in Fili’s face. They stepped apart for a few minutes, wiping dirt and sweat from their faces, retrieving their weapons, and talking in their quiet half-sentenced fashion.

Their next spar, Nori called out corrections when he saw fit. Kili was as enthusiastic and happy as ever, nodding eagerly to himself when Nori gave him advice. Fili’s brow was furrowed with deep concentration, and his focus only grew whenever Nori directed a word his way.

Nori gave a sharp whistle to get their attention at the end of their session, and instead of continuing towards their waters they headed for him.

He pulled two wrapped packages from his coat, handing them over. “Keep them hidden. Can never have too many hidden knives. And make sure they’re not somewhere expected, and that they’re covered anyway.”

Two sharp knives were nothing for Nori to sacrifice. He had plenty, and the Princes had none that were well suited to the fighting Nori had been teaching them. Fili’s were typically longer and heavier, while Kili only carried a sword with his bow and quiver because he’d been told to by his uncle and trainer.

He grumbled uncomfortably when Kili threw himself at Nori in a fast, firm hug. After wiggling free – and ignoring Dis’ look, damn her – he told them to get lost and slipped away.

He didn’t mention what Dis had said to him or his own concerns about the legitimacy of the wizard’s plan to his brothers. He kept quiet even when they speculated about what news meant there was another meeting so soon – in two days’ time, in the early evening. The messenger Balin had sent had assured there would be supper provided. Dori fussed more than usual, nit picking Nori’s and Ori’s manners at every meal until then.

Nori left the house early in the afternoon, before Dori could start fussing at his braids and clothes like he was with Ori. It was just the Company of Idiots, and probably Lady Dis who cared little about the decorum of any of them. Dori was so ridiculously concerned about the shared meal, like impressions mattered when they were all off to their deaths.

Nori wondered if he could start a betting pool. Which death would they come to first? Death by bandits, death by goblins, or would it be death by a nasty fire-breathing probably hungry dragon?

He made it to the meeting just as everything was being called to order, dropping into a seat by Ori, ignoring Dori’s scathing look, and pulling some food onto the plate set before him. He lounged back and ate as everyone else chattered over the news that the Wizard wanted them to go to Bree of all places and from there meet with the Burglar. To Nori, it sounded the height of suspicious.

No one else (except Dis, as established by the training session earlier that week) seemed to share that opinion.

Which really only proved that Nori was part of a Company of Idiots with death wishes. He could only hope to save his brothers. Though, probably he’d try to keep the Princes out of the worst of trouble. If he could. Possibly.

Only because Lady Dis was terrifying, not because he liked the idiotic fools.

Balin cleared his throat, interrupting the news that they were heading to Bree come morning.

“Now, I have been assured by Tharkûn that Thorin is already aware of the plans and will meet us at our Burglar’s place in the Shire-“

Nori’s chair thunked loudly to the ground as he sat up, staring in shock. “The Shire?” he interrupted. Everyone went dead silent. Nori never spoke at the meetings, hadn’t spoken to much of anyone in the Company until the recent training sessions and even then it wasn’t much.

Balin raised a white brow at him, and somehow managed to seem both politely curious and disapproving. “Yes, Mister Nori. Our Burglar resides in the Shire. We-“

“There ain’t no burglars there.”

“Nori!” Dori hissed, leaning forward to frown at him from the other side of Ori. His eyes flicked worriedly to Balin and the guards before returning to Nori, widening pointedly.

Nori shook his head and repeated firmly, perhaps a little desperately. “The Shire doesn’t have no burglars.”

“And what knowledge of the Shire do you have, Mister Nori, that surpasses that of a wizard?"

Nori ground his teeth and then bared them in a sharp grin. Dis sighed quietly, shaking her head at the edge of his sight. "I travel a lot."

Balin didn't look impressed. "That is where Tharkûn assures us he has found our Burglar. That is where we are going, Mister Nori.” He turned his attention to the rest of the table, cleared his throat, and continued. Nori’s appetite was gone; he sulked back in his seat, pointedly ignoring anyone trying to get his attention.

When the meeting was declared over, Nori was already half out of his seat and storming out the door. Dori would make sure their things were packed and ready. Nori would make sure he was at their departure point in the morning. For now, he was going to drink as much ale as he could afford, because he deserved that kind of sendoff to certain death.

He didn’t have to say anything when he got to his favorite tavern. It wasn’t Dag’s place, but it was full of the right type of rowdy and just slightly unpleasant crowd that wouldn’t mind him sulking around and drinking until he stumbled up to a room and passed out. One of the workers brought him a tankard and offered a sympathetic smile before bustling back to work.

Nori was only halfway through his first ale when Bofur dropped nosily into the seat across from him. He has his own tankard with him, his strange hat sitting askew on his head, and Nori could see his coin pouch tucked on the inside of his jacket was rather full.

He gave Bofur a long stare, brow raised.

“I told Lord Balin – only, he says I could call him simply Balin, since we’re a Company an’ all – I told Balin, ‘you promised me free beer, I suggest ya start with tonight’ and so he gave me this nice and full pouch o’ coins, and I figured, since you didn’ seem so pleased tonight, that you might like to enjoy some as well, courtesy of the nobles.” Bofur took a long, satisfying drink.

Nori thought about it, then held out a hand. “Hand them over, you’re likely to get them stolen like that.”

Unquestioningly, Bofur handed them over.

Idiots, the lot of them. Foolish and far too trusting, this one specifically. Who just handed over a full purse of coin like that, no question at all?

“So is it true?” Bofur asked when they were part way through their second tankards. They’d been sitting in not uncomfortable silence till then, and Nori was a bit cross it was interrupted. He was here to lament in their sure deaths and get completely pissed, not make small talk.

“Is what true?”

Bofur leaned closer, lowering his voice. It honestly wasn’t anything close to quiet, really, but the noise around them would keep it from being easily overheard. “’Bout there not being any burglars in the Shire.”

Nori snorted into his tankard, downing the last bit and signaling for more. “Course. It’s the Shire, Bofur. They wouldn’t know what to do with a burglar if they had one. Probably give him tea or somethin’.”

“But Tharkûn-“

“The Wizard is daft,” Nori muttered. “There aren’t any burglars in the Shire, I can promise you that.”

Bofur hummed thoughtfully and finished his own tankard. They waited while they were refilled. Nori took a large drink right away, but Bofur stared at it, lost in thought.

“Well,” he finally said, looking up at Nori. The dim lighting and his hat obscured some of his expression, but his eyes glinted brightly and his smile was rueful and yet still somehow cheery. “Guess we’ll just have to take advantage of the free beer for as long as possible.”

Nori supposed he was right. That was all there was for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> amad - (the) mother  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf
> 
>  
> 
> If you want updates on the fic while I'm working on it, they're on my tumblr, where I am insaneandobsessed. All are tagged 'workin' on a fanfic' so you can just bookmark that page, if you don't want to deal with my crazy blogging shenanigans.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which traveling is boring, yet somehow Dori still manages to mortify Nori.

The sun was piercingly bright, the Princes were painfully boisterous, and Dori’s look promised a murderous lecture at the soonest possible bit of privacy. Nori had forgotten just how much he hated ponies – they were mean and stubborn and the only good thing was that he didn’t have to walk and could potentially take a bit of a nap if push came to shove. It had been a late night with Bofur in the tavern – a busy late night, not one of just sitting around and drinking like he’d originally planned for.

Bofur had been… surprisingly fun, once a couple tankards had been in them both.

As it was now, that cheer was misplaced. Nori was hungover, sore, and not at all pleased that yes they really were setting out for the Shire. No one should be allowed to be hungover and still as cheerful as Bofur was. If he didn’t stop smiling in the next five minutes, Nori was not going to be responsible for his actions.

Friendly night together or not.

Dis had been solemn and distant when she saw them off. She had met Nori’s eyes for a moment and given him a nod. There’d been worry deep in her eyes, in the straight-lined set of her mouth. No small tugs of amusement or glints of laughter. She’d pulled her sons aside and pressed her forehead to theirs, whispering to them, pressing small somethings into their hands before gently knocking their foreheads together and straightening.

When Nori had last glanced back, she’d still been standing there, straight backed and distant as the mountain peaks, and Nori had the fanciful thought that she’d still be there if any of them ever came back, or until news reached her of their (really very likely) demise.

They were on a tight schedule to reach Bree in time to meet up with Gandalf, so the day’s ride – while not strenuous – wasn’t an easy one either. Nori glared at Balin’s back the whole time, sure it was on purpose. They ate the midday meal while riding, and Nori was grateful to all his travel experience because he had the hang of it while others didn’t.

By others he meant mostly his brothers. Even the Princes had more skill at riding than them.

Nori urged his pony closer to Ori’s, sighing as his brother fumbled with the reins and his food.

“Don’t hold them so tight, _naddith_.” He nodded as Ori’s grip on the reins. “They’ll likely just follow along with each other, not likely to go gallopin’ off. Just keep a loose hold in case he decides to eat some weeds on the road or somethin’, keep him movin’.”

Ori nodded, brows deeply furrowed as he adjusted his hold. He still was a bit stiff, but not so badly now.

“Did you use ponies a lot?”

Nori shrugged. “Yeah, some. They’re faster than walkin’. A pain though.”

Dori sighed grandly. “Nori, please, stop with the stories.”

“Stories?” Kili’s voice was excited and he slowed his pony down, Fili of course following his lead. “What stories?”

While Dori just groaned (though Nori thought it seemed a tad dramatic, and therefore fake; it'd be like Dori to punish him by bringing the Princes down upon him) and urged his pony faster, ending up near Bombur, Ori said, “Nori’s travelled all over Middle Earth!”

“Yeah?” Kili’s head tilted, eyes wide and curious. “Fili and I have been some places. Escorting merchant caravans, you know. But not even all the way to Bree.”

Ori nodded. “Nori just got back from the South before he signed up for the quest.”

Two sets of wide eyes cornered him and he scowled at Ori. He was far too hungover to deal with those two. Even if all that was left now was an ache in his muscles and head.

It didn’t help that a good many of the others nearby were not-so-subtly listening in on the conversation. And how did Ori expect him to tell any of the good stories when they involved his not very legal ventures? At this rate, Nori suspected that his previous… profession wasn’t going to stay secret even till the Misty Mountains.

Sighing, Nori glanced at Kili, with his wide dark eyes, to Fili, who seemed to be trying to appear aloof and failing at it.

He shot Ori another sharp glare – which his little brother was sadly unaffected by – before relenting.

“Fine, fine. What do you want to know?” he asked.

Kili immediately demanded to know everything, which was ridiculously unhelpful. Except, not, because at least he hadn’t asked what Nori did that required traveling. He could just tell all the stories where he did not steal anything, and bend the truth some for the ones where it did come up.

The rest of the afternoon passed with Nori describing the places he’d seen, the people he’d met and traveled with, and one or two of the misunderstandings that had gotten a bit exciting and had nothing to do with him being a thief. Fili even snickered when Nori told about the time he’d nearly gotten himself married over a meal.

They set up camp on the side of the road, setting pairs to watch, resting, waking up to do the whole thing again.

A good week or so passed before they stopped at an actual small town, with an inn. Gloin argued loudly in approval for staying the night, and while Balin seemed reluctant, Nori doubted he’d hold out for long. Especially once Fili and Kili started talking pointedly of how there was no way of knowing how many more chances of soft beds there would be now that they had started the quest.

Balin caved rather quickly, making Nori suspect he wanted a bed as well. Perhaps the traveling hadn’t been as easy for him as he’d have liked them to think.

“Is it wise to stay in an inn?” Dori muttered to him, slowing his pony so he walked close beside Nori. Ori was in front of them, the now familiar look of patient amusement on his face as both idiot princes babbled on about various different inns they’d stayed at, one on either side of him.

“Wise? Nah. But it’s not a horrible decision either.” Nori shrugged. “Wiser to save our money for emergencies. Wiser to get used to sleeping on the ground all the time. It’s always harder to adjust to even after one night, in my experience. But these folk aren’t too used to long trips.”

Dori nodded mutely, eyes distant. “That, or perhaps they do not like to think on the last long trip too much.”

Nori glanced quickly at his brother, briefly concerned. But Dori shook off whatever memories might have hit him with efficiency and straightened in his seat. “At least we will have a night of warm beds and a hot meal. So long as someone makes sure no one overdrinks,” he shot Nori a warning look, “we should be fine tomorrow.”

“Not ‘bout to waste my coin on a subpar ale, and though they promised free beer, I doubt we’ll actually be getting any.” It would be a stupid use of what coin they had, after all.

They dismounted their ponies in front of the inn, some of them leading their mounts to the stable and others following Balin inside. The inn was shabby looking with faded and peeling paint, but inside was clean and surprisingly tidy. There was noise from farther inside, not the rowdy sound of drunks but the babble of lots of friendly conversation. Probably not many people stayed the night, but Nori would bet a lot of the locals would come in for a meal or ale most days.

The man behind the counter had a sharp eye, making Nori groan softly. Many of the race of Men assumed all dwarves were rich and greedy, which seemed only to inspire them to match such imagined levels of greed. Balin was a politician, so Nori had decent hopes for this not taking more money than it was worth, but it would likely take a long while.

He leaned against the wall, arms folded, and ignored the questioning looks he got from Dori and Bombur both.

They looked equally resigned fifteen minutes later when Balin and the innkeeper were still arguing prices.

Bombur had settled on the floor, looking through his personal bag for a snack. Bifur and the others came in from storing the ponies, which only seemed to increase the innkeepers determination to get more money than before.

Bofur took one look around at them all, shook his head, and marched up through the rest of them.

He cleared his throat, making both Balin and the man look at him with surprise. He tipped his hat back, leaning with casual charm against his mattock and grinned easily.

Nori was too far back to hear just what Bofur said. Balin’s brows rose though and he discreetly stepped back into the rest of their little crowd. The innkeeper’s face was interesting to watch. It went from surprised, to baffled, to angry, to uncertain all within a few minutes. After five minutes of Bofur talking with him, they shook hands and exchanged coins and there were four rooms for them to split themselves between, with a single meal for each of them already paid for – dinner or breakfast, whichever they chose.

Nori watched Bofur with interest. It wasn’t like he’d not realized their during drunken night that the miner was more interesting than he let on, but this was a type of sharp cunning he hadn’t expected of him. Catching his eye, Bofur winked merrily and tilted his head towards the bar.

Nori nodded after a moment, following his brothers up to the room they’d taken a key for. He didn’t know how the others were dividing up, and frankly couldn’t care less. He dropped his bag onto one of the two beds, ascertained his brothers weren’t planning on leaving any time soon, and made his way back down to where Bofur was already waiting.

There was a pint of ale waiting with him, and who was Nori to turn down anything free?

He settled at the counter next to Bofur, nodding his thanks before taking a long drink. The ale was pretty decent for a small town inn, not the worst he’d ever had. He settled back and assessed the dwarrow next to him.

Still looked the same as ever. Perpetually cheerful, with that ridiculous hat perched on his head and laughing eyes. Gentle and caring for all appearances. Thoughtful and with a very dry wit after a couple ales.

But cunning? Nori wouldn’t have pegged him for that until now.

Bofur glanced over, raising a brow and looking very amused.

“What now?”

“Balin spent all that time arguin’ with the innkeeper, and you come in and smile and chat at him for a bit and suddenly we’ve got ourselves a damn good deal for the night.”

Bofur hummed, taking a drink and eying him with mirth. When he didn’t say anything, Nori rolled his eyes and leaned closer.

“What exactly did you say to him?”

“Nothin’ much,” Bofur shrugged. “It’s all in how you talk to a fellow. Balin ain’t no idiot, but he’s a noble. They don’t know much how to talk to common folk like us.”

This was a good point. Nori doubted he’d have been much better, though, seeing as he’d have probably threatened to stab the man in his sleep at the first unreasonable suggestion.

Bofur laughed, supposedly at the face Nori was making.

“It’s just knowin’ how to work people,” he offered with a wink. “Talk them round in circles enough and sometimes they’ll just give up if only to get you to shut up.”

Nori finally laughed. “True enough.”

Bombur and Bifur entered the room, taking a table nearby but out of the way. Bombur ordered their food, Bifur with a flower in hand that he ate piece by piece. Nori had no idea where he’d gotten it, or why he ate like an elf. He wasn’t going to ask. He spared a glance for Bofur, but he seemed content to sit beside Nori and made no moves to join his family.

Nori was almost finished with his ale when Bofur leaned into his space. It wasn’t unreasonably close, just a tad closer than normal, enough to catch Nori’s attention.

“You want another?”

Nori glanced at his ale, at Bofur’s empty one, and towards the doorway. It was tempting, but… “Nah.” He tapped his fingers along the side of the glass and shrugged. “Best not to have too much fun tonight.”

Bofur laughed, eyes crinkling. “Like last time I had some ale with you? You are not the happiest travel companion after such a night.”

Nori grunted. “Might have been better off if I weren’t awake so late on top of all the drinking.”

It only made Bofur laugh more. He adjusted his hat and leaned forward again, lowering his voice.

“Does that mean no fun at all?”

Nori bought himself some time by taking a slow drink of what ale he had left. It wasn’t something he’d thought much about – he rarely traveled with people long enough for it to be something to worry over. He wasn’t opposed to spending some fun in bed with Bofur again. Neither of them was looking for something serious, just for fun.

Besides. Who knew when they’d be somewhere that beds and relative privacy were available.

He tipped his glass for the last of the ale and offered Bofur a wide grin. “No, it doesn’t.”

They left their glasses and started walking across the room. Bifur and Bombur didn’t even glance up at their leaving, and Nori was sure they were heading for the Urs’ room so hopefully they’d be eating for some time still. Bofur’s hand teased over his arse on the way up the stairs, and-  
-Nori staggered to a stop face to face with Dori.

He went still, eyes wide and face paling a bit as Dori raised a brow and glanced over at Bofur, who rather quickly snatched his hands behind his back. Nori distantly thought scathingly over the lack of subtly in this stupid Company he had gotten himself mixed up in, but mostly he was consumed with the idea that _Dori was looking at him like that_.

“Not our room,” he said with a small sniff. “Ori is writing in that journal of his, recording everything in ‘proper lighting’ and asked me to bring him supper later so he’s not planning to leave any time soon.” He started down the stairs before pausing to add, “And do keep it down, will you? Gloin hasn’t stopped complaining the entire time and the walls are thin. I’d hate to give him more to complain about concerning you.”

Nori stared after his brother until he was out of sight, leaving Nori frozen in place. Bofur began laughing, leaning against the wall while Nori slowly moved his gaze to him.

“Well, yer brother was nicer ‘bout this than I thought he’d be.” He grinned. “Didn’t try thrashing me for defiling you.”

Nori rolled his eyes and shoved Bofur away. “Shut it.” When Bofur’s hand strayed somewhere a little more friendly he narrowed his eyes. “No.”

“Wha-“

“I am _not_ suffering the looks I’ll get from him tomorrow for taking time for some bed sport, he’ll be insufferable. No.”

Bofur stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, before he doubled over with laughter. Nori was not impressed. Shaking his head and straightening, Bofur grinned. “Yer loss.”

Nori ignored him as he turned and went back downstairs, still laughing, and instead went straight to the room he shared with his brothers. Ori glanced up from where he was working away feverishly at the desk, brows furrowed.

“Dori is terrible,” Nori muttered, falling face first onto one of the beds. “I hate him.”

Ori hummed sympathetically. “Yes, he says much the same about you.”

Nori twisted a bit, glaring at his baby brother with his stupid hair and very fake sympathetic face that he obviously learned from Dori. “Not helping.”

“Wasn’t trying to,” Ori quipped, turning back to his work. “Try not to talk too much, will you? I’m working on my journal.”

“Just what do you have to write about?” Nori muttered. “We’ve traveled for a week. Bifur ate flowers he found along the way. Gloin never stopped complaining. Balin is an idiot for trusting the Wizard. Those Princes pestered me constantly for stories. Dori complained about not being able to have a proper cup of tea.”

Ori snorted and muttered something that sounded an awful lot like “Shows what you know.” Nori decided to ignore him.

He’d actually managed to fall into a light doze when Dori returned to the room. He paused in the doorway as Nori lifted his head, scowling.

“Finished already?”

“Mahal, you’re horrible,” Nori groaned, grabbing the pillow and yanking it over his head.

“Was it not enjoyable?”

“Was what not enjoyable?” Ori asked, then added, “Thanks Dori.” The thunk of a plate landing on the desk table meant that Dori must have brought him his meal.

“Nori was going to-“

“Please stop.”

“-enjoy some time with Bofur. I admit I wasn’t paying much attention to the Urs downstairs, Balin and I were discussing our favorite teas. I hadn’t realized Bofur was back already.”

“Mahal help me.” Nori squeezed the pillow over his head more, hoping that he’d wake up and this entire thing had been a dream. He knew it wouldn’t, but it was a nice thought to delude himself with for the time.

“Oh. Well he came in just after you left, so I don’t think that happened.” Ori sounded calmly matter of fact. Nori gave up on the pillow.

“I’m finding a bathing room and washing up,” he told them loudly. Dori looked approving and mentioned doing so as well later. Nori was almost out the door, his bag slung over his shoulder, when Dori added, “I brought up a plate of food for you as well, Nori, since I didn't know what time you'd be leaving Bofur. I’ll set it by the fire to keep it warm.”

He sighed. “Thanks, Dori.”

Seriously, Dori was the _worst_.

 

When they set out the next morning, Nori resolutely ignored his brothers and Bofur, who had taken one look at him as they mounted their ponies and laughed, teasing about how he looked rather tense.

Ori snickering over that had really only made everything worse, because his little brother should not find jokes like that amusing, let alone get them. He just… shouldn’t. Ori was far too naïve and innocent for Nori to even think about him having any kind of experience in such matters.

Besides, Ori lived with _Dori_. How could he have ever even…?

Nori was almost relieved to stop for the night and make camp, because it meant that there would be no reason for any such laughing looks to pass his way from Ori or Bofur the next day. He did give Balin a dirty look when he was assigned the watch shift for the middle of the night. He hated that shift – just as he fell asleep, he had to wake up again, and just as he finally was awake he was sent off to sleep some more.

He didn’t know how, but Nori was certain Balin assigned it to him on purpose when Nori was already having a terrible day.

Thankfully his watch partner was Bombur, who was probably the least likely of the Company to make any kind of comment about anything his brother had been suggesting. Thankfully not loudly, or around anyone Nori wouldn’t want to know. The Princes were nosy and gossips, so it was a good thing they didn’t overhear, and Gloin would have only used it to torment Nori some more.

Nori wasn’t sure if Oin had heard or not, due to it being near impossible to tell just how bad his hearing actually was with him pretending half the time, but if he had he made no comment of it and that was good enough for Nori.

The rest of the journey to Bree passed with little of interest. They came across a small band of vagabonds who took one look at them and scattered. Nori wondered if it was the number of them, the weapons many of them all but bristled with, or Gloin’s eager reaching for his axe.

They reached Bree in the late afternoon, and while most of the others seemed to look at all the small little  _Zantulbasân_ with curiosity, Nori had seen them before and knew just how annoyed they could get with being stared at. Just the thought of the stinging lecture on manners he’d received made his ears still feel like they were ringing.

“They don’t have beards. None of them,” Kili whispered to Fili. Or, well, Nori was sure he thought it passed for a whisper, but not only could Nori hear him, he’d be willing to bet the hobbits could as well. Those large ears couldn’t be for decoration after all.

Plus, the timing of the glare from that one was a little too perfect for him not to have heard.

Nori wondered if the Company would survive the day, let alone an entire trip into the Shire. They might just find themselves murdered by the _Zantulbasân_ , and wouldn’t that be a story for Dis to hear.

_‘Yes, we’re sorry to tell you that your sons and the rest of the Company never even met up with their Burglar, as they offended the Zantulbasân and were thus killed.’_

Probably the Lady Dis would laugh at their idiocy.

Balin hustled them all to The Prancing Pony, giving the two young princes a quiet but very firm lecture on minding their manners that had Nori smirking and them looking rather sullen. Ori was going to injure his neck if he kept twisting it around like that, and Gloin and Oin were talking far too loudly over how the _Zantulbasân_ didn’t wear shoes. Nori could only be grateful that since they were talking in Khuzdûl, the hobbits wouldn’t understand. It was the only saving grace they had.

Before they even stepped inside, a tall man stopped next to them. Nori glanced at him and gave a long sigh, resigned. Grey robes, a hat, a staff. Obviously a Wizard.

Tharkûn.

“Ah, Balin! Glad to see you made it in such excellent time.” He smiled at them, face crinkling with wrinkles and eyes bright and sharp.

Nori didn’t like him.

“Let’s head inside, shall we, and we can discuss the Burglar I have found for you all, and how it would be best to arrive.”

Nori glanced at Dori and raised a brow. He waited until the others had followed the Wizard inside, even Ori, before muttering, “Sounds suspicious to me, discussing how to arrive, hm?”

Dori’s brow furrowed. “Hush Nori,” he said. Very quietly he added, “We’ll just keep a careful eye on things. No need to make a fuss unnecessarily.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> Zantulbasân - hobbits (common)  
> naddith - (the) brother that is young  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they arrive at Bilbo's house and Nori distrusts Gandalf. Also, this would go much better if Dis was running things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Life got hectic and a bit on the crazy side, and I kept freaking out over one thing or another with this chapter. But then authoressjean said she's had a rough time as well and so I knew I had to kick it out. Here you go darling. Enjoy it.

Nori did not think it was a good idea at all to send Balin ahead to the Burglar’s home. He seemed to be the only one who thought that, though Bofur had made a face and nodded his head side to side when Nori mentioned it. It wasn’t exactly agreement but Nori decided to take what he could.

Balin might be diplomatic and courteous, which of course the  _Zantulbasn_ would love, but he was also very much a politician and a noble. Why _Tharkûn_ thought that was what it would be wise to send to a burglar’s home first – not that Nori believed that there really was a burglar in the Shire, because let’s face it, these were _Zantulbasân_ they were talking about – Nori couldn’t understand at all. Just what did he hope to achieve?

Not that the Princes rushing off shortly after were better. Nori had only noticed them vanished when the Wizard started doing a headcount of all things.

Rolling his gaze heavenwards, Nori took a moment to curse Dis for making him feel responsible for the young idiots before he caught Dori’s eye. He nodded to where the Princes had been and now weren’t. Dori looked both exasperated and somewhat panicked. He waved a hand pointedly at Nori, so he slipped off as well, leaving his pony with the rest of them to deal with wherever the Wizard suggested and slinging his bag over his shoulders.

He wasn’t too far behind the Princes, and was much better at navigating the winding hills and roads here than they were. Nori supposed he was lucky they didn’t get lost on the way in the dark, because that would have been awkward to explain to Dis. ‘I lost your sons in the Shire, sorry about that, they’ll probably be fine because the _Zantulbasân_ will feed them out of pity.’ He caught up before too long, getting there just in time for the door to be slammed shut in their faces.

Surprisingly rude for one of them; Nori wondered if this hobbit was going to be a good or bad type of surprise. Right then, he was rather amused because the look on the faces of the Princes was priceless. Nori strolled up the path, clapping them both on the shoulders. “Charm failed you, lads?”

Kili was blinking rapidly, head tilted in utter bafflement. “Why… the door…”

Fili scowled. “That was rude.” Yes, Nori was sure the eldest Prince wasn’t used to doors being slammed in his face. Nori fought off a grin.

“So’s showing up this late,” Nori muttered as a possible explanation, rapping his knuckles on the door. Mostly he wanted to stop any sulking on their part.

“Go away!” a sharp voice called from inside.

A voice that was distinctly not male. Nori raised his brows, glancing at the Princes. He didn’t even have a moment of hope and closed his eyes tightly.

“Please,” he sighed. “Tell me you didn’t call the lass a Mister.”

“Tharkûn said-“ Kili started to say indignantly.

Fili cut him off, groaning and burying his face in his hands. “That our burglar goes by Bilbo Baggins. He said nothing about it being a Mister Baggins.” He looked up and glared. “Which you still mucked up, calling her a Boggins. You made her sound like something from a swamp!”

Nori rolled his eyes and nudged aside the Princes. They stepped back willingly enough, still bickering amongst themselves. Nori rapped on the door again, leaning close against it.

“Lass, they’re just young idiots, they meant no harm.”

“There is no need for more dwarves in here! You can all go away and… bother Lobelia if you must bother someone of the Baggins persuasion. I’m sure the Tooks would actually love to have you.”

He had no idea who Lobelia was, but if this Bilbo Baggins was sending dwarves she didn’t want there, he doubted she was anyone pleasant. Tooks… sounded familiar, actually, though Nori couldn’t pin why.

“Balin can’t be that bad,” Nori offered.

“Dwalin ate my dinner! And now they’re both pilfering my pantry! I am getting rid of them as soon as they’ve eaten.”

Dwalin. Well. That made things… interesting, for himself and for Miss Baggins.

“Aye, sure,” he said agreeably. “And when they ask where the rest of us are? And what do you suggest I tell the wizard?”

Finally he heard the click of a lock and he stepped back, grinning as charmingly as he could when she peeked out the door. “Gandalf?” she asked, looking irritated and resigned.

Nori nodded, entirely sympathetic to that look. “Gandalf.”

Heaving a sigh, she stepped back, opening the round green door. “Fine then. I suppose you can come on.” Her eyes narrowed as Fili and Kili practically pushed past the both of them. “How many more are…?”

“Eight,” Nori said after a moment’s thought. “Not including the Wizard,” he added.

Eyes shooting wide, the hobbit lass was off into the depths of her home, babbling about how there was no way to prepare enough proper food for that many on such short notice and drat all blasted wizards. Nori shut her door calmly and snagged Kili by the back of his shirt to pull him off some fancy looking box where he was scraping his boots.

“Best not,” he suggested. “Hobbits are picky creatures, take manners very seriously. Scraping mud on fancy boxes isn’t wise, especially when they’re making food.”

Kili paled, and Fili immediately froze from where he was settling all the daggers and weapons he had on a delicate looking chair.

“You think she’d poison us?” Kili sounded more intrigued with the idea than actually worried. Nori rolled his eyes; hopeless – they were hopeless.

Dwalin’s head poked around the corner, scowl clearing into his usual frowning expression when among mixed company.

“Fili, Kili,” he said. “Come help us move things to make room.”

“Mister Dwalin!” Kili perked up, all but prancing to the large dwarrow’s side and grinning widely when an arm was slung over his shoulder to drag him along. “How’s Uncle?”

Dwalin snorted as Fili and Nori both followed after. “Sent me ahead once we got _Tharkûn’s_ message. Should be along shortly, I imagine. The discussions were likely coming to a close.”

Nori waited until Dwalin had sent off the Princes, arms crossed as he lounged against a wall, and smiled slow and amused when Dwalin finally looked over at him with curiosity.

“Nori.” He crossed his arms, giving him a somewhat suspicious look. “Didn’t take you for the type to sign up for this.”

Offering a grin that was just shy of too sharp, Nori shrugged and offered no explanation. “Should have realized you would be the type though,” he said. “You’re far too loyal to that King of ours.”

“Watch it Nori.”

His grin widened. He was hardly intimidated by the gruff growl or warning look. This only made Dwalin huff at him and change the subject pointedly.

“Who else is coming? What’s taking so long?”

“The Urs, my brothers. Gloin and Oin. That Wizard.” He shrugged. “Not sure why they’re not all-“

That was when the doorbell rang of course. Dwalin and Nori both leaned slightly to see back into the hall, and watched as Miss Baggins bustled out, scowling and muttering. She had an apron pulled over a simple dress that she hadn’t been wearing earlier. Reaching the door, she took a moment and smoothed her face into pleasantness.

If Nori hadn’t known better he’d have believed it, too.

So Gloin and Oin fell for it instantly.

Dwalin grunted, shifting back out of sight but Nori spent another moment watching, curious. As soon as the two dwarrows had drifted towards the kitchen where the others were, she made a rude face at their backs and seemed to consider dumping the belongings that had been settled into her arms on the ground.

She didn’t, sighing and hanging cloaks on awaiting hooks, but she did drop their bags a bit carelessly.

Nori chuckled, turning back to Dwalin.

“Think the Wizard’s trying to break us all to her gently?”

Dwalin’s answering grin was all teeth and dry amusement. “Didn’t seem to have warned the lass about the company she’d be meeting.”

Dwalin was probably as certain of the lack of burglars in the Shire as Nori was. It was nice to think that maybe not the entire Company would be complete idiots.

“She’ll feed us, maybe house us for the night if none of us irritate her too greatly, and see us off come morning. The lass ain’t going to run off with a bunch of dwarrows to slay a dragon, that’s fer sure.” Dwalin added. He slapped a hand to Nori’s shoulder. It lingered a moment before Dwalin turned and walked to where the others were gathering. “C’mon, Nori. Let’s help the others get things ready for the rest.”

Nori spared another glance for the hall, where the hobbit no longer was, and shrugged. He suspected _Tharkûn_ had miscalculated when it came to this hobbit lass, if only because Nori couldn’t see the irritation ending well for any of them.

Something broke in another room and he winced.

Definitely wouldn’t end well for them.

 

Just because Nori _knew_ better than to irritate a hobbit too much, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have some fun. Once the others arrived – toppling over into the doorway, Dori grumbled and fussed with his braids afterward; Nori laughed at him – the hobbit dragged the Wizard off. Nori suspected it was for a good scolding, and Bofur laughed at the idea of that tiny thing going against a Wizard.

Nori asked if they should place bets on either _Tharkûn_ being cowed or the hobbit being turned into a frog or something.

Neither happened, of course. The Wizard still looked as mysterious and smug as he’d been acting since Bree, and the lass just shot him narrow-eyed scowls every time she saw him or the Company did something she seemed to find particularly offensive.

She sat in a far corner while the rest of them were at the table, leaning back in her seat with arms crossed and brows just slightly scrunched, which was quite the tantrum for one of the _Zantulbasân_. Sometimes Nori caught her muttering to herself, but he could never catch what she was saying. It was too loud to hear her, and anyway he was far too distracted by the rambunctious mirth of his companions. Ori burped quite fantastically, Nori was very proud, but Dori just shook his head and took a larger sip of his wine.

The Princes were duly impressed and tried to crowd themselves more around Ori than before if that were possible. He’d have to keep an eye on those rascals, but Ori did seem to have things well enough in hand.

Nori spared some glances for Dwalin as well, a good head above most of the others. His lopsided grin was familiar despite not seeing it in a few years. If the hobbit home wasn’t so crowded Nori might have considered trying to steal him away for a little bit. They could both be quiet when they had to, Nori knew from experience.

It was always fun trying not to get caught, too.

Dwalin however seemed rather determined not to drift too far from Balin – his brother, and how Nori hadn’t known that bit of information he had no idea. It was actually irritating to have missed it somehow. He was not _sulking_ about it, though.

Okay he was sulking a bit because he was supposed to know things like that, and he was rather disappointed in himself. He’d hate to think he was losing his edge, when he was still in his prime. Things like that could get him killed. Nori thought about it some more before deciding it was excusable because it was Dwalin. Clever bastard had always been good about being the shadow no one knew much about except his reputation.

Really, Nori decided. He should be impressed with himself for learning as much as he had. It was more than most knew about Dwalin. Missing one detail – no matter how big of a detail it was – was nothing to get upset over. Really.

Nori poked his head into the hall as he heard Miss Baggins make a rather unladylike sound. His brows shot up as he saw the Princes tossing around her plates and cups. Now this was playing with fire.

So Nori of course joined right in. With the silverware and bowls and plates being passed around and the song, with the laughter at the look on her face when she skidded into the kitchen to see them all neatly stacked and clean. She looked both flustered and indignant, even grudgingly impressed. She shoved some curls that had come loose out of her eyes and set a hand on her hips, huffing out a breath. A moment passed as they all laughed.

A small smile had just started to tug at her lips when a heavy thudding knock sounded and the Wizard said “He’s here” as ominously as possible, setting back that small victory.

 _Tharkûn_ opened the door, all of the Company crowding around the entryways. Nori kept to the back, in the shadows, as best he could. Thorin had only been around Dwalin once or twice back in those days, but there was no sure way of telling if he’d recognize Nori or not. Probably would be best if he didn’t, not yet at least. Let Dwalin or Balin break the news to him.

Ori and Dori bowed their heads, of course, proper and polite and Nori rolled his eyes behind Gloin. Miss Baggins managed to finally wiggle her way between them all to the front, Dori politely shifting aside and letting her confront Thorin without any backup. Which was stupid of Dori, though ridiculously – thoughtlessly – brave of the hobbit.

It went downhill from there. Nori wasn’t sure if Thorin was just that much of a socially inept idiot (he was leaning towards that, personally) or if he was trying to spite the Wizard, or if he really didn’t want the hobbit along for the journey. Either way, Nori found himself wishing it was Dis that had come along with them and Thorin staying behind to deal with the idiots on council.

Course, then they might not have somewhere to come back to if they (likely) failed and (surprisingly) didn’t die.

They shifted back to the long table they’d all eaten at, and he followed his brothers, taking a seat by Dori and unfortunately near Gloin who gave him a singular suspicious look and then pointedly shifted until he couldn’t see him. Nori leaned back with his pipe to watch them make a mess of the whole thing. If the lass was a Burglar, they were seriously bungling it up, so it was a good thing Nori was positive she wasn’t. If she was just a hobbit lass the Wizard was messing with, they might just end up sleeping outside again.

It was not surprising to Nori that none of the others would come. Dwalin looked grimly resigned, and Nori doubted this was entirely unexpected to him either, though probably unpleasant to accept. Glancing over at Dori, he caught his eye and raised his brows. He’d told Dori that no one else was stupid enough to go against a dragon for a mountain that wasn’t theirs.

Also, Erebor would just mean competition and no one actually wanted that to happen.

Nori quickly realized it was even worse than he’d first thought. The Wizard hadn’t just not let the lass know they were all coming that night nor how many of them to expect.

She didn’t even know what they were all there for.

It took a lot of effort to not smack his head into something. No one else seemed to comprehend just how much of a disaster this was turning into.

Gloin brought up the portents, which sent Oin went on his long rant about them all. Nori was uninterested in their superstitious babble, but the others seemed entranced, except maybe the Princes. Kili had that super-focused look on his face, the one he got when he was trying to make it look like he was paying attention and he wasn’t, while Fili had that look that meant he was bored, though he was trying not to look it by the shifty way his gaze moved from one to the other.

Bofur then had to go and cheerfully explain what beast Oin was talking about. And because this was Bofur of all dwarrows, of course he couldn’t just say it was a dragon, no, he had to go and explain it like he was telling one of his stories at the tavern.

Miss Baggins gave Bofur a really unimpressed look at his description of Smaug. He should have known better, because the _Zantulbasân_ were far too practical to appreciate Bofur’s style.

Then Ori had to stand up, knuckles pressed into the table as he leaned slightly forward. “I’m not afraid! I’m up for it. I’ll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!”

Nori couldn’t stop the amused grin from appearing, his pipe lowering as he looked over at his _naddith_. With his knit vest and still rather young haircut (probably Dori’s fault), it was just too amusing.

His gaze dropped a bit to catch Dori’s head finish turning towards him, the look absolutely silently accusing. At the end of it, he jerked around with a gasp to Ori, and Nori smacked the table and choked, torn between laughter and a groan. Really – Ori was going to get himself killed, this was why Nori was on this stupid quest of theirs. Still, he wasn’t about to discourage Ori’s behavior, if only because it riled Dori up.

“Good lad, Ori!”

Dori tugged on Ori’s arm firmly. “Sit down.” He shot Nori another quick, accusing look, and Nori could hear the ‘this is all your fault’ as clear as hammers at the forge.

Nori glanced past Dori, shaking his head at Ori and muttering an exasperated “idiot.” He wasn’t quite sure himself for which brother it was addressed, but worked either way.

“This task would be difficult with an army behind us, and we number just thirteen,” Balin said solemnly. Yes, thank you for that positive reminder. Balin glanced at them all, then focused on Thorin. “And not thirteen of the best. Nor brightest.”

And _just wait a second there._

“Here, who you callin’ dim!” Nori demanded, eyes narrowed, because he doubted it was any of the nobles. For a few moments, chaos started to rise up but then Fili interrupted it, his voice firm and purposeful. Nori wasn’t sure if he was trying to assure them all or stop the impending argument. Dis would probably be impressed with his few uplifting words. Fighters all of them, huh? Nori would have gone with “stubborn idiots” but perhaps it was the same thing to the Prince.

“And you forget we have a Wizard in our Company!” Kili added, both enthusiastic and assuring. “Gandalf would have slayed hundreds of dragons!”

This ought to be good…

“Oh, well, no. I wouldn’t say-“

Dori immediately cut him off and Nori smirked. He knew what was about to happen, even if the Wizard didn’t. It had happened to Nori often enough.

“How many then?”

“What?”

“How many dragons have you killed?” There was a stern look on Dori’s face, though it also seemed a bit afraid. Nori wasn’t sure why.

Gandalf began coughing on his smoke, which Nori thought was a rather stupid play for time or avoidance of the answer. Dori surely would recognize it, and of  
course it only irritated him further. Nori just watched the Wizard. He pitied him right then, just a bit. He had no idea what he’d gotten himself into here with Dori.

“Go on! Give us a number.” Dori was angry, voice roughening and getting louder.

Chaos erupted. Nori shot to his feet when someone said something about Dori, Dwalin was all but snarling, Bifur looked like he was on the edge of going beserk, and his fingers flew too fast for Nori to follow. It went until Thorin shot to his feet and shouted at them. They fell back into their seats, Bifur shaking his fist one last time sullenly.

Thorin’s speech was of course impassioned, perhaps a view of what Fili could become one day. Nori glanced away for a bit, bringing his expression under control at the mention of risk, because going on this stupid quest was his risk.

He couldn’t not cheer with the others though, because that was just stupid. He wasn’t going to make more of an outcast of himself than he already was, even if it got him a look from Gloin.

Balin went on to be even more of a downer, and where was his optimism of their prior meetings? Nori rolled his eyes and sucked more at his pipe. It wasn’t like  
Balin didn’t have a point, but he was wondering why they were going on this stupid quest when they couldn’t even get into the stupid mountain.

Of course the Wizard had an answer for that, and it was an extremely questionable one if anyone bothered to ask Nori. No one did, but he did exchange a glance with Dori. He’d told him that the Wizard sounded suspicious. He got a small nod from his brother. At least he wasn’t the only one not buying all this manipulation from the Wizard. Thorin appeared too flummoxed to question further.

The map of uncertain helpfulness seemed to appease everyone else too, especially the Princes. They were clearly relieved and excited that an answer to this worry was provided. Nori added teaching them not to trust strangers and Wizards to his list of things they needed to learn.

“That’s why we need a burglar!”

Nori pressed his lips together not to laugh, especially as Miss Baggins finally added her own comment about needing an “expert.”

When Oin misheard she quickly righted them all, firm and straightforward as most her kind were. “Me? No! I’m not a burglar!” She looked offended, hands settling firmly on her hips. “I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.”

Interestingly enough, her eyes darted away as she said that. Now Nori was intrigued.

Balin and Dwalin both threw in their opinions, that the Hobbit was definitely not the type for this quest, which had Miss Baggins nodding. Kili, ridiculous idiot that he was, jumped to her defense.

“She’s just fine!”

Everyone started talking again. Nori leaned forward a bit to get Kili’s attention, telling him exactly how ridiculous that idea was. Ori and Dori were arguing at his side, and the chatter grew louder until the Wizard stood, his shadow filling the room and his voice rumbling like falling rocks.

“Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar than a burglar she is!” Nori leaned back a bit, a little surprised and worried. Angry Wizards were not something he wanted to deal with. Dori nearly fell over near him while Ori shrunk down smaller in his seat. Bombur even stopped eating.

“Hobbits are light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose.” Which would be useful, Nori admitted. If the lass had any skills at stealing! Moot point otherwise. Though that point about the scent of Hobbit might have merit.

But everyone seemed ready to accept it at that point. Or perhaps they just didn’t want to argue with the Wizard after his temper tantrum display. Thorin all but threw the contract at her – great manners, Nori was telling Dis all about her brother’s stupidity at this first meeting if only to laugh about the lecture she’d probably blister his ears with later.

And once again Bofur just made things worse with his penchant for exaggeration. Death by dragon seemed to be too much for her after everything else and she – after insisting she couldn’t breathe and needed a moment – fell to the floor. Dwalin shot to his feet, ever the kind to look after others, even fainting hobbit lasses.

“Oh very helpful Bofur!” the Wizard grumbled.

They roused her, let _Tharkûn_ bustle her off into another room. Nori wandered the halls, leaving Ori settled to write in his journal and Dori to look after him. He could hear Oin talking about some herb he’d found in her kitchen windowsill that was useful for one thing or another. He’d ask Ori about it later.

There wasn’t much of interest. Some nice china and silverware – and he was tempted to knick something from that stash, because if they got into a pinch while traveling it could fetch a decent amount of coin to at least put off starvation.

“What are you doing?”

Nori glanced over, fingers quickly releasing the spoon he’d been fingering. The hobbit lass had hands framing her hips again, eyes narrowed and curls disheveled. Before he could say anything, she huffed.

“If Lobelia hasn’t managed to get her sticky fingers on my silver, neither are you Mister Dwarf.”

Nori blinked. “Isn’t that who you said for us to visit instead?”

She hiked her chin up. “I did. And you could have gone and stolen her silver, but instead you raided my pantry so you’ll just have to make do with that and join the rest of your lot. Good night.”

She sure didn’t sound like she wished him a good night, but it didn’t sound like she was kicking them out, either. Nori figured that was good enough, and slipped by her without taking the silver.

He took fancy looking little cloths instead off of the top of some cabinet. They weren’t like the holey ones she’d snatched out of his hand earlier – he’d been thinking those might go for some coin in the south, they’d like that delicate work he thought – but nice and made of good cloth. He could get some coin for these, if he had to.

They all gathered together, Nori finding his brothers in the den. Ori finished writing something in his journal by the firelight, frowning just a bit. Nori glanced out a small round window, examined her cabinet thing next to it. Nothing useful there.

He turned around to join their song. Even he wasn’t yet jaded enough to keep from joining his voice with the others in the song that spoke of their loss, their home, their history. His ma had sung it to him on stormy nights, cuddling him in her lap and wrapping them in a blanket she’d made. She’d loved to sing, and Nori could still remember her voice lilting over the notes of this particular song.

He couldn’t yet not sing this song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl Translations (via the Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> Zantulbasn - hobbit (common)  
> Zantulbasân - hobbits (common)  
> naddith - brother that is young  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nori loses a bet and Dori finds a new person to mother-hen (and recruits his brothers into it too).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry this took so long. I mean to get a chapter up MONTHS ago, but then I was applying for a second job (and got one!) and the chapter fought me every step of the way. I sat down tonight with less than a thousand words and made myself finish it. It's not terribly long (shortest yet I think) but it felt right to stop there and I wanted to get something to you guys.
> 
> I wish I could promise not to take so long again, but I don't trust myself that much. So. Apologies and here's the new chapter.

Nori never made bets he didn’t consider a sure thing. It was poor practice to make bets when you thought you might lose. He’d rather keep the money he had then waste it, and if that meant sometimes making _sure_ he knew the outcome then what was a little cheating among gamblers?

When the others began betting on if the Hobbit lass would join them or not, Nori had felt comfortable with placing his money against her coming. Tharkûn only smirked and watched them all with that stupid all-knowing look and placed money _for_ her appearing. Normally Nori would be reluctant to take money from a Wizard but if he was going to be stupid about it then who was he to complain.

Nori had been through the Shire enough times to know the people who lived there were definitely not the fighting, questing type. They all but had their own roots holding them to the land, and were merry so long as one didn’t cause a ruckus. Definitely not the types to run off with an entire Company of dwarrows plus a batty Wizard to take on a bloody dragon.

It was comfortable travel, though. Nori had argued that they stick around for the Hobbit lass to make breakfast but Thorin had been adamant. No one had the guts to argue with him – except Dwalin and Balin and neither of them seemed to understand what a _Zantulbasân_ breakfast meant – so they missed out and left before the sun had even started to rise. The Princes were dozing in their saddles, Kili going so far as to drape himself over the neck of his pony and bury his face.

They ate once the sun came up, buying some rolls and pastries as they passed through a small market and continuing on their way. Ori was talking with Oin once more, frowning and nodding seriously as he listened. Nori enjoyed the peace, at least until Dori pulled his pony up next to him.

“Honestly,” he muttered irritably.

Nori glanced over, waiting because if Dori was upset about something he never was one to keep quiet about it for long.

Dori huffed. “It’s ridiculous to be so wrapped up in such nonsense.”

“What nonsense?”

“Those… absurd superstitions!” When Nori just stared at him, Dori gave a put-upon sigh and continued. “Gloin is fretting because we still only number thirteen, which is unlucky. He’s almost as bad as Oin.”

Nori shrugged. “They’re nobles, _nadad_ , they’re not exactly known for their sensibility.”

Dori just harrumphed unpleasantly. Shaking his head with a soft chuckle, Nori let his brother stew.

None of them were in any particular hurry just yet. Even Thorin was seemingly enjoying the promise of peaceful travels while in the Shire and taking a leisurely pace, talking companionably with Dwalin at the front.

“Wait!”

Fili and Kili both jerked around, Kili giving a laugh of astonishment.

“Why, it’s Miss Boggins!”

Nori twisted around, frowning, and watched disbelieving as the lass ran up to them, contract flapping about behind her.

She reached them, heaving great gusty breaths, and spit a curl from her mouth. “I signed it!” She passed it to Balin, looking around proudly before seeming to shrink just a bit and focus on Balin again. Nori could see Ori scrambling to yank his journal out of his saddle pouch, finding some way to balance it and write all at once.

Balin made a considering noise before folding the paper up and smiling kindly. “Welcome to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield, Miss Baggins.”

“Get her a pony,” Thorin called out roughly. Dwalin looked between the lass and Thorin, amused, and Nori shook his head as she began babbling excuses. They all continued past her – either she’d get on a pony or be left behind – but when he heard an indignant noise he glanced back. The Princes had lifted her up by the arms and sat her on top of one of the ponies that had been for extra packs. Gandalf had already cleared some away onto his own large beast.

He smiled happily at the lass, who gave him a particularly disgruntled look.

“Pay up Nori!”

Grumbling, Nori dug for his pouch of coins he’d put in the pool, tossing them towards Gloin. Dori muttered disapprovingly about gambling and Nori pointedly ignored him.

The pace, for no reason whatsoever, picked up. So far as Nori could discern, it was just Thorin throwing something of a temperamental fit about the lass joining. Dori rolled his eyes when Gloin muttered about how she’d never keep up.

“Just earlier he wanted her here to make us fourteen, now he complains?” Dori tutted. “Poor lass is not going to have a pleasant trip with us.”

Nori grunted. “No one’s gonna have a pleasant trip here, but aye, she’ll have a rough time of it. Nobles aren’t likely to be friendly.”

Dori raised his chin, sniffing. “Terrible manners, truly. I suppose we’ll have to befriend her.”

Sputtering, Nori twisted to stare at his brother, eyes wide. “What now?”

The look Dori gave him was supremely unimpressed. It even held a bit of familiar exasperation, like Nori was being difficult on purpose. He very well was not, because he couldn’t have heard Dori say what he thought he’d heard. Befriend the Hobbit? Really now.

Patiently, Dori explained, “She’s got no one here that she knows except the Wizard, and he isn’t exactly proper company to keep.”

“Neither am I!” Nori yelped.

“Yes well. You can at least keep an eye out for her. Ori and I can keep her company.” He sniffed. “And you can keep those princes of ours from playing any pranks on her.”

They both eyed the Princes, who were leaning close together and whispering. Everything about them projected an air of mischief. Harmlessly meant, because Nori doubted those two had a truly malicious bone in between them, but if the lass was already feeling unwanted… if she didn’t know better….

“I’ll keep them occupied.” Nori sighed. “They need more training anyway.”

He pointedly ignored the small, knowing smirk on Dori’s lips. He was only spending so much time trying to train them because he’d promised Dis and he would prefer to have her favor. Not because he… he cared about them or something.

Dori could very well leave him be about the entire thing.

It seemed he decided to do just that (thankfully), because he just hummed and looked forward again. “Perhaps-“

“Wait!” the lass cried. Everyone pulled to a stop instantly, looking back at her. Nori caught Dwalin glancing around for any threats, hand twitching for an axe. Gandalf looked… amused, which is what clued Nori in.

“We have to go back! I forgot my handkerchiefs.”

Nori rolled his eyes, urging his pony forward and laughing under his breath at the confounded look on Dwalin’s face. Dori sighed pityingly. Bofur, looking amused yet trying to be helpful, ripped off a pocket and tossed it to her. “Use this.”

The grin on his face when he turned back around, having caught sight of the look on hers, was that of stifled laughter. Nori urged his pony closer to him.

“I think you offended her.”

Bofur’s chuckle was warm and low. “Per’aps.” He shrugged. “Better that than to have Thorin yell at her, though.” He subtly nodded his head towards their leader, who was scowling and grumbling to Dwalin. “She’s a sweet lass, from what I can tell, just not the adventurin’ type. Brave though.”

Nori glanced at him, unconvinced. Bofur grinned, eyes bright. It made Nori wish he had another chance for a fun night.

“Oh, don’t tell me you don’t agree.” He laughed. “That lass had a very comf’table home. Yet she ran after us, to fight a dragon all the way across Middle Earth. Takes guts.”

Which wasn’t wrong. Nori shrugged though. “Sounds more stupid to me than anything.”

“Nori, you think we’re all stupid for this.” Bofur gave him an amused look. “I think sometimes you think all’a us are stupid ‘cept you.”

He let a sly grin pull his lips apart, if only to make Bofur laugh some more. If Dwalin twisted around to look at them and raised a brow at Nori, that was only a little bonus. Jealous Dwalin was fun, even if neither of them wanted anything serious from each other.

 

The rolling hills started giving way to more flatter ground, with trees appearing more frequently as the approached a large forest. Nori overhead Bilbo explaining to Ori about them. The _Zantulbasn_ called it the Old Forest. There were rumors that sometimes the trees would talk to each other in whispers that you could just barely hear if you sat still long enough and listened closely. Some even claimed to have seen the trees move.

“But that might just be Tookish or Brandybuck nonsense,” she laughed. “The Tooks are whimsical folk, and the Brandybucks rather silly. Still, good families. I know the fauntlings like to dare each other to go into the edges of the forest at dusk, see who dares go farthest. One time they had to call a search party together. Poor thing went too far, got all turned around and lost. It was dark by the time he was found. Thankfully he’d found a clearing of flowers near a stream, and some delicious mushrooms, so he wasn’t too traumatized.”

Nori had to admit the lass had a way with storytelling. Ori all but begged for more stories of the Shire, and she seemed happy enough to give them. In fact, she seemed relieved to have someone to talk to, and Ori was good with putting people at ease.

(No, Nori had not taken advantage of that fact before. He had never asked Ori to convince people that Nori hadn’t done anything or to distract them… Ori had done it all without prompting. It was agreed that Dori would never know.)

When they stopped for the night, the lass muttered “Oh finally,” and slid off her pony with a muffled groan. Ori smiled sympathetically, telling her about how when they’d first set out he’d had trouble with ponies as well. When he said Nori had helped and pointed him out, Nori made sure not to be appearing to pay attention.

It made Bofur laugh at him, so he shoved him around a bit until Thorin snapped for them to collect some firewood.

“Grouch,” Nori mumbled. If he and Bofur took their time, find a quiet place to enjoy some kissing and heavy petting, no one either noticed or cared. Nori really didn’t want to think about if Dori noticed, so he very purposefully kept himself too busy to look his brother’s way.

The lass was quiet as they ate, as they settled and set up watch rotations. She curled up in her bedroll, near _Tharkûn_ and apart from the rest of them, and closed her eyes tight.

Ori sat down with his brothers, looking concerned. “Do you think she’ll be warm enough?” he asked, concerned. “She’s not used to being outside at night.”

Nori tossed another stick in the fire. “She can move closer if she’s cold.”

Shaking his head, Ori sighed. “No, I don’t think she will. She doesn’t want to look silly like she did earlier.”

Dori tutted worriedly, fixing his braids from the day’s travel. “Does she at least have a spare blanket?”

“I don’t know.” Ori twisted his fingers together, fretting. “I think she packed in a bit of a rush, she might have forgotten things.”

“If she even knew what to take in the first place,” Nori muttered. His brothers ignored him.

“Come here, _naddith_ , let’s fix your braids.” Dori gestured Ori closer, fingers already in his hair before he’d actually settled. “Until she feels comfortable with us, the best we can do is make her feel welcomed and keep an eye on her. You did great today, Ori, really. I think having a friendly ear was good for her.”

Ori perked up. “Oh, she has the most wonderful stories! They’re all so fun and clever. Did you know _Zantulbasân_ have their own calendar? It’s different from everyone else’, and they’ve got their own holidays, and-“ He paused, eyes wide with awe. “And, Dori, they have _seven meals a day._ ”

Nori couldn’t help but laugh, even as Dori frowned. “What now?”

Ori twisted around, nodding enthusiastically. “She was asking me when we stopped for lunch and I told her we didn’t, really. If we got hungry we’d snack on something while riding. And she told me all about how they have all these meals, they have _two_ breakfasts, and afternoon tea, and dinner _and_ supper!”

Dori looked impressed. “That sounds… remarkable. Are they all small meals then?”

“Nah,” Nori said, finally deciding to speak up. “Hobbit meals are huge. S’why I wanted to stay for breakfast.”

“Where… where does all that food _go?”_ Ori asked. It made Dori hiss his name, sounding scandalized by the possibly rude question, but Nori just laughed and shrugged.

“Smarter people than us have asked, Ori, but I’m not sure even the _Zantulbasân_ have an answer. They’re brilliant cooks though, haven’t met one that couldn’t make a good meal yet. Bombur would probably love her help with cooking, if it’s suggested correctly so not to offend him.”

Dori looked intrigued and pleased by this. “Yes, Bombur might make a good friend for Miss Baggins as well, good thinking.”

Nori opened his mouth to protest, because he hadn’t meant to make it sound like he was finding friends for the lass, but Dori waved him off.

“Just accept the praise for once, will you Nori?”

His mouth snapped shut and he scowled. Ori giggled behind his hand, settling between the two of them where it was warmer. He pulled his knitting out, only to unravel the small bit he’d started the other day.

“Do you think Miss Baggins would like a scarf?” he wondered. “It’s going to get colder as we approach the mountains, after all.”

“I’m sure she would, Ori,” Dori smiled.

Ori bit his lip, digging through his bag to look at the different colors of yarn he had. He didn’t have much – it wasn’t reasonable to bring yarn on a journey like this – but he thought he might have some nice dark green that would suit her.

Nori checked the fire, decided it was good for a while, and started to neaten his braids. It was a long process to redo all of them, so he mostly stuck to the smaller ones that were less of a hassle to do every night or so. Dori left to help with the cleaning of what was left from supper, so it was just him and Ori.

“You know a lot about the _Zantulbasân_ ,” Ori said eventually. His eyes were narrowed slightly, focused on his knitting. The click of needles was familiar. Nori could remember nights in the sitting room, comfortable in his ma’s lap as Dori practiced on the rug in front of the fire. _Amad’s_ fingers would comb through Nori’s hair, gentle and patient at all the tangles acquired over the course of playing with the other children all day. She’d taught him to braid some nights, braids that had no purpose on a commoner like him but that she remembered from when she’d been wife of an important dwarrow.

Nori tried to remember if either him or Dori had taught those braids to Ori. He couldn’t say, and part of him wanted to ask, but it wasn’t important right then. Perhaps wouldn’t ever be.

Surely Dori would have taken care of it.

He cleared his throat. “Traveled through once or twice,” he offered. “Not a lot of bandits to deal with, and so long as you don’t make trouble they don’t really bother you.”

Ori nodded, getting through another row before speaking again. His voice was quiet and hesitant. Concerned, Nori thought. “Do you think she’ll be okay with us? I mean, what if they have to eat all those meals, and we don’t, and she starves? I’ve heard stories say that they can’t leave their land or they get sick. Is that true?”

Nori snorted. “It’s ridiculous, is what it is. You think she’d come with us if it would hurt her – I mean, more than any journey would hurt anyone.” Ori still looked worried, so he sighed and clasped a hand to Ori’s shoulder. “ _Abanith_ , relax. I’m positive that is just a silly story. As for if she’ll be okay – we’ll all keep an eye out for her. The Princes like her, and she’s got us, and Dwalin is too honorable to let her get hurt if we have to fight bandits or somethin’.”

“She’s already lonely,” Ori whispered. “It’s been a day and she feels lonely.”

That was because they weren’t really an amazingly good Company as it was, and she wasn’t even a dwarrow. It’d be worse for her because of that alone, but… Thorin’s obvious dismissal would make it even harder. The others would follow his lead, because he was their so-called King and they were little better than blind idiots when it came to him.

“Well obviously you’re working to fix that, yeah?” Nori grinned at Ori. “She’s got you, and Dori’s decided he’s going to look out for her. You know how good Dori is at mother henning.”

Ori finally grinned, looking relieved finally. “You’re right. I almost feel sorry for her,” he giggled.

Nori snorted, shaking his head. “Ain’t that the truth, _abanith_. She won’t know what hit her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> abanith - (the) stone that is young  
> amad - (the) mother  
> Zantulbasn- hobbit (common)  
> Zantulbasân - hobbits (common)  
> nadad - (the) brother  
> naddith - (the) brother that is young  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf
> 
> I'm debating having Bilbo's pov in this too, or not. If you have an opinion either way, feel free to share it. Final decision will be what I feel is right but I do like hearing from you guys on what you like and don't, so.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone keeps referring to Bilbo as "Master Baggins," Nori works some more with the Princes, and Dwalin and Nori fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes hi. Sorry for the long wait. I'll leave an explanation at the bottom if you're interested.
> 
> Also, The Dwarrow Scholar updated and the word for just 'hobbit' is there and I'm using that now instead of the previous one. I've gone back to change them.

They started turning north several days later, and Nori clearly heard Miss. Baggins sigh and say something about “guess that means no stay in Bree then.”

“No, Master Baggins,” Balin said with a slight smile and a gentle tone. “We’ll not be stopping in any establishments on this journey, unless circumstances demand it.”

She made an annoyed sound, giving Balin a sour look. “Please stop calling me that. And what kind of circumstances are we talking about here?”

“Well,” Balin started, but then he was called by Thorin. With an apologetic smile to the hobbit, Balin urged his pony forward.

Sighing, she glanced over at Ori. “I don’t suppose you know?”

Ori paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. “I’m not quite sure myself,” he admitted. “But I imagine if one of the Company was injured too badly to travel, we would have to stop somewhere.”

Making a strangled noise, the lass looked forward. “Injured,” she said faintly. “Fantastic.”

When they stopped that night, Thorin and Dwalin leaving to scout the surrounding area, Balin turned to her and said, “Master Baggins, would you mind assisting Dori in gathering some firewood?”

While she spluttered indignantly, Dori just walked up and gently herded her away into the woods.

Gloin scoffed. “Useless thing. Does she think she is above helping with the chores?” he grumbled.

Nori glared over at him, because _the noble was one to talk_. It was Bofur who spoke up though while Nori bit his tongue. He wasn’t about to get into spats with the nobles, risking his own hide for the lass. Not over something like that.

“I don’ see you ever gatherin’ firewood.”

“Because I start the fire!” Gloin snapped.

“Oh yes, such a terribly difficult chore that is.”

Gloin took a step forward, only to find Bifur stepping right into him, growling in that ancient dialect that Nori didn’t know. Gloin paused, looking a bit concerned, and then with a last glare at Bofur backed down, grumbling more insults in Khuzdûl.

When Dori and the hobbit returned, he shot them a dark look before grumbling more under his breath. Nori watched as Dori paused, snapping something back, before marching away.

Looking confusedly between them, Miss. Baggins just sighed before going to sit with Ori, who was scribbling furiously in his journal.

When Thorin and Dwalin got back, Oin and Gloin had been muttering back and forth, their tones obviously disparaging, their looks flickering around but mostly towards their so-called burglar. Nori sharpened some of his knives and kept an eye on them. Not because he was going to do anything to interfere, he just wanted to know if they were going to move that way. Ori was there, after all, and had already proven himself to be recklessly loyal when he shouldn’t.

“I think I finally got it!” Kili exclaimed, drawing Nori’s attention. He eyed both the young Princes, Kili almost bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement and Fili trying not to look as excited as he obviously was. Sighing, Nori stashed everything away, dropped his pack over by Ori and Dori, and gestured farther out from the rest of the Company.

“Alright, let’s see then.”

“What are they doing?” he heard Miss. Baggins ask as he walked away.

“Oh, they’re going to practice their knife skills, Master Baggins!” Ori said cheerfully.

“Please, don’t call me that. You can – Bilbo will do,” she said, sounding frustrated.

“Oh, thank you,” Ori said shyly. “Nori is really good with knives,” he added. “He’s been teaching the Princes since before we left.”

“Princes?” Miss. Baggins squeaked, and Nori grinned as he caught up with the two younger dwarves.

Fili had already scratched out a bullseye on the trunk of a tree, standing just behind his brother. Both of them stared eagerly at Nori and he raised a brow before gesturing again.

“Go on then.”

Kili went very still and intent, eyes narrowed slightly as he breathed deeply and stared at the marked tree. Nori kept a sharp eye on the hand with the knife, watching as it loosened, and then Kili was moving quickly.

It thunked, hitting the outer edge of the bullseye, and the Princes grinned.

Nori narrowed his eyes. “If that was an orc, you’d have just pissed it off,” he told them. “Don’t throw your only knife unless you know it’s going to actually do something useful.” He walked over to the tree and yanked it out, marching back over to the subdued Princes and putting the blade back in Kili’s hand.

“Your stance is wrong,” he continued, kicking at one of Kili’s feet, pushing at one of his shoulders. “If you’re not paying attention to you as well as what you’re aiming at, you’re going to get yourself killed and might as well give up now.”

Jaw tightening, Kili adjusted. Fili didn’t say anything, but watched closely, so Nori doubted he’d be missing much of what he was doing with Kili’s stance.

Kili had at least gotten closer to the bullseye, and Fili had gotten in a few throws, when the lesson was cut off.

“Enough foolery,” Thorin called. “Nori, you have first watch. Fili, Kili, come eat.”

Glancing over at the king for a moment, Nori plucked the knife from Fili’s hand and threw it, quick and easy.

It hit, dead center.

The Princes grinned, and Thorin scowled.

Smirking, Nori went to drag the knife free again, tossing it in the air before passing it to Kili hilt-first. The Prince tucked it away before dashing after his brother to get some food.

Nori ignored the glares from various members of their Company, the disapproving look from Dori, and dragged his pack back into his lap. Ori handed him a bowl of stew, which he picked at as he finished sharpening the knives he’d been working on earlier.

“You are – uh, that was… quite good.”

He glanced up, seeing Miss. Baggins shift uncomfortably, cheeks taking on a red tint instead of the usual pink.

“Practice, dove,” he said casually, winking. It certainly riled Dori up, he was nearly bristling next to Ori, who was rolling his eyes with exaggeration.

The little _Zantulbasn_ scowled, face reddening even more. “You dwarves have no manners, do you?”

“I certainly don’t,” he replied, and grinned when she made a frustrated sound and huffed to the other side of their little camp, taking a seat next to the wizard.

“Nori, you-“

“Save it,” he interrupted, raising a brow when Dori puffed up indignantly. “I’m not changing for anyone here, not even that overly proper _Zantulbasn_.”

“You are an idiot, _nadad_ ,” Ori said plainly, making both Dori and Nori look at him in surprise. Ori just kept knitting.

 

It was one of the hot end-of-summer days, unfortunately, which put many of the Company in poor moods. Dori moaned almost constantly about the heat but refused to remove his heavy outer tunic. The Princes had stripped down to their light under tunics, jackets tied carelessly over their saddlebags, Kili even going so far as to yank his hair into a sloppy tail. (Why the lad couldn't do at least _that_ in case of unexpected fights, Nori failed to understand.) Dwalin hadn’t said a word… but Nori knew him well enough to see that the heat was irritating him as well.

Thorin had to be sweltering in that damned heavy jacket, but other than a reddened face showed no signs of discomfort.

Miss. Baggins sighed from just ahead of Nori, giving her trousers a discontented look. “I miss my skirts."

“Why’s tha’?” Bofur asked.

She glanced over at him, surprised and a little cautious. “Well, they’re a lot cooler than trousers. And I can hike them up higher than I can these blasted things,” she added, tugging at the legs of her pants.

Bofur chuckled. “Aye, I suppose that makes sense. Don’t think they’d be much comfort when riding though.”

“No,” she agreed forlornly. “They wouldn’t.”

They stopped before it got dark, near a small grove of trees with the barest trickling stream that was more mud than water. Everyone settled into patches of shade. Nori leaned back against the trunk of a tree, glancing over to see Ori writing in his usual shorthand. Over the years, Nori had started to piece together what meant what, but was still at a loss half the time.

Nori looked out over the Company, debating if he should drag the Princes out for more training or let them work that rambunctious energy off themselves. On the one hand, they hadn’t practiced hand-to-hand for a while. The nobles would probably scowl and Thorin would grumble threats, but Nori had learned from Dwalin after the last time that Dis had sent a message to Thorin, to leave Nori be when training the boys.

On the other hand, letting those two stir up a fuss and watching Dwalin scold them was utterly hilarious. He was never one to turn down a good laugh.

“Master Boggins! What are you doing?” Kili shouted, drawing at least half the Company’s attention to their burglar.

She shot a dark look over at Kili, hands falling on her hips. “Will you stop calling me that? Honestly. It’s Miss. Baggins.”

Kili shrugged, repeating his question. “What are you doing?”

“If you must know,” she sighed, turning back to her careful search through the grass and mud. “I am searching for mushrooms. My mother told me of a certain kind that grows in places like this, though I suppose it isn’t quite the season for them. Still, it’d be wonderful to eat a few with supper. Or chop them and add them to the stew, depending on if Master Bombur believes they’ll go with what he’s already planning.”

“Mushrooms,” Ori whispered nearby, face crunching with disgust. “That’s almost worse than green food.”

“Hush,” Dori scolded. “You need to eat a larger variety, Ori, or you’ll never stay healthy.”

Ori made a face, which had Nori grinning until Dori turned a glare on him. He quickly smoothed his face out into an innocent, questioning one.

“What?”

“Oi, Bombur, you got room for mushrooms in that pot?” Bofur called.

Bombur looked up with a frown at Bofur, then over to where their hobbit was still carefully searching. “Depends,” he said slowly. He wandered slowly over to her, and as Nori watched they started talking in quiet tones, shaking their heads every once in a while. Not quite an argument, but not exactly agreement either.

Rolling to his feet, Nori snatched Fili by the back of his tunic, tugging him along as he started away from the Company. Kili scrambled after them, a cheerful grin on his face.

Out among the dry grass far enough from the trees that Nori couldn’t hear anyone’s commentary on just what he was doing, Nori let Fili go. He gave a shrug, straightening his tunic, and tilted his head as Kili stopped next to him.

“What are you doing to teach us today?” Kili asked. “Can you show us-“

“No knives,” Nori interrupted, “We’re gonna work on hand-to-hand.”

Kili paused, flicking an unsubtle glance over to where the rest of the Company was relaxing. “Uh, Dori isn’t going to… help?”

Nori grinned. “Wasn’t planning on it but if you’d like his-“

“No, I’m good,” Kili said, eyes wide with something a lot like panic. “Are you good Fili?”

Fili looked at Kili with a sly smile. “I don’t know, maybe-“ He cut off with a laugh when Kili smacked his shoulder. “Yes, I’m good.”

“Thought so.”

He started by just having them show him what they knew – and then pointing out every missed opportunity they could have taken.

“But…” Fili started at one point, before trailing off at the look Nori gave him.

He was in the middle of talking Fili through what to do when Kili chirped, “Mister Dwalin!”

Nori turned, then swore soundly when Fili kicked the back of his knee. Twisting, he glared at the grinning prince.

Dwalin laughed. “Aye, you’re definitely teaching them.”

Nori rolled his eyes. “Next time,” he said to Fili, "Kick harder, and a little lower. You wanna get them down on the ground, not just off balance.”

Fili nodded.

Giving Dwalin his attention again, Nori crossed his arms. “You makin’ sure I’m not completely corruptin’ them?”

Dwalin’s laugh was low and rough, his grin wide and challenging. “Nah, I know you are. I came to see if you were up for a spar yourself.”

Tingles of excitement buzzed through Nori, making his fingers twitch eagerly. He grinned, cracking his neck and barely noticing as the Princes scurried away, leaving plenty of space for him and Dwalin.

For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Nori responded to the small shift Dwalin made, then had to duck when Dwalin changed course and came towards him. Nori laughed, grin stretched wide when he looked up, catching Dwalin’s own look of enjoyment.

It’d been a while, a long while, since they’d last spared. It was relatively easy to fall back into the flow of it, ducking, dodging, spinning into and out of reach. Nori was still quicker than Dwalin, and Dwalin was still stronger than Nori, and both of them never quite landed a hit on the other.

Nori got behind Dwalin, jumped on his back. Almost immediately, he was grabbed and thrown right over Dwalin's head onto the ground. He popped back to his feet and dodged, getting a glancing blow to the shoulder instead of a full hit.

Sparring – fighting – with Dwalin had always been thrilling, always good. Dwalin was a strong fighter, and wasn’t afraid to pull out a few dirty moves instead of staying to the ‘honorable’ methods. Nothing like Nori, of course, but enough that it wasn’t a boring fight.

“Enough,” Thorin’s voice cut through, and Dwalin immediately took steps back, putting space between him and Nori. He kept a sharp eye on him though, knowing better than to let his guard down yet.

Nori smirked. Dwalin raised a brow.

Barking a laugh, Nori took a step back as well, watching as the lingering tension of a fight drained from Dwalin’s shoulders.

“That was – wow,” Kili said, Fili murmuring agreement, eyes bright. Dwalin laughed, clapping hands to their shoulders, directing them back over to where Thorin waited, the rest of the Company all turning back to their tasks.

Ori grinned as Nori walked up, handing him the water pouch.

Dori, of course, tutted, shaking his head and muttering a few feet away from them. Nori rolled his eyes as he settled back next to Ori. Nudging him, Ori leaned over.

“Dori was impressed.”

“I’ll believe that when he says it,” Nori chuckled.

“That’s brilliant!” Bombur said excitedly, hands full of mushrooms as their hobbit dug through the spices he carried.

“It’s a Took recipe,” she said, “My mother made it on special occasions, the other families are horrifically jealous of it. I’ve had to fend my cousin Lobelia off from stealing it for years, ever since Mother passed.”

“Thank you,” Bombur said with a shy smile. “For sharing it with me, then.”

Miss. Baggins waved her hand dismissively. “I highly doubt you dwarves are going to enter it into the Midsummer’s Fair or spread the secret about.”

Bombur laughed quietly, following after her as she headed towards the pot and fire.

“Seems the _Zantulbasn_ is making friends,” Nori noted, nodding after them.

Ori glanced up and smiled. “Yes, I think she might be. She and Bombur were the only ones that didn’t stop to watch you and Dwalin spar.”

Nori grunted, stretching out to relax pleasantly sore muscles, when Thorin called to him. Nori peeked an eye open, looking over at him questioningly.

He got a wonderfully stern glare in return. He didn’t know why anyone expected differently from him. Never had Nori made it a secret of how uninterested in ‘proper’ behavior he was.

“Nori, Dori, tend to the ponies.”

Rolling his eyes, Nori was perfectly willing to go back to his relaxing but then Dori was fisting the front of his tunic. Nori was yanked to his feet with a yelp, which made a few members chuckle. He caught Bofur’s eye and glared, seeing just behind him their little miss hobbit trying not to smile and utterly failing as she bent over Bombur’s seasonings.

“Alright, alright, ge’off,” he mumbled, slapping at Dori’s hand. Dori tutted and let him go, even going so far as to straighten where his tunic had gotten bunched up.

Nori slapped his hand, then ducked a swat from Dori.

They glared.

“Ponies,” Ori said pointedly, still writing quickly in his journal. Nori glanced over sharply, not missing the little smirk on his brother’s lips.

Sighing, Nori turned to follow Dori over to the ponies. He shoved Bofur as he walked by him.

 

“I’m fine,” Nori heard the hobbit sigh. “Really – no, please, I’m –“

“No, take it, it’s perfectly alright,” Dori insisted. Raising a brow, Nori bent back a bit to peer down out of the tree he’d chosen to set himself up in for the night, since he had first watch again. Dori was pouring some more stew out of his bowl into hers, and she did not look grateful for it.

Her eyes flickered to the rest of the Company. Nori could understand why; several of them were staring at her, and a few of them weren’t hiding their disdain.

“I don’t need,” she tried again, but Dori hushed her.

“Please, Master Baggins, it isn’t any trouble.”

Her little foot stomped the ground as she stood up, glaring at them all. “Now – now see here, I have tried to be patient but it’s gone on long enough. I am no – I am a – I am _Miss. Baggins_ thank you very much. No Master Baggins or _Boggins_ ,” she added, shooting a stern look at the Princes. They wilted a bit under the look.

Nori grinned.

“If you can’t respect-“ she continued, only to be cut off by Thorin’s harsh voice.

“You will cease this blustering,” he ordered, marching up to her. Paling a little, the furious red in her cheeks dying away, Miss. Baggins backed up a step, the fury that had drawn her up deflating until she was curling herself inward, shoulders creeping to her ears and thumb rising to her mouth. She bit at it a moment before trying again, much quieter and less confident.

“I-“

Thorin cut her off again. “You are under contract, _Master_ Baggins, and if I say you will go by such, you will. I will not have you put this Company in danger because of your… inane sensibilities.”

Her mouth gaped for a moment, and then she snapped it shut, flushing with embarrassment. Thorin gave her a last glare before turning it on Dori.

“Everyone gets a fair share of supper; I will not have you weak with hunger because you want to coddle our burglar.”

Dori’s teeth were obviously grinding, but he nodded once. “Of course, my lord.”

Rolling his eyes, Nori watched as the Company slowly moved their attention elsewhere, as Dori did his ‘I’m not storming, don’t be ridiculous Nori’ walk over to where Ori sat knitting, posture subdued.

Miss. Baggins edged closer and closer to the edge of camp, sighing at the sight of _Tharkûn_ conferring with Balin.

He almost spoke up – almost explained to her that it wasn’t disrespect meant, actually, but something nearly the opposite. That Dori didn’t mean to demean her by trying to feed her more, but that he was an insufferable, compulsive mother-hen and had set his sights on her as his newest target.

He didn’t.

“Confounded dwarves,” she muttered, slumping to the ground and pulling her coat tighter around her as the wind picked up, sharp and chill. “Don’t know why I ran out my door. Stupid, Bilbo, just stupid. Worse than your own mother – she never ran after a Company of thirteen crazy dwarves.”

His lips twitched. Nori settled back further in his spot in the tree, lighting his pipe and looking up through the foliage at the stars.

It looked like there might be a storm coming, one of the muggy summer downpours.

Hopefully it’d veer the other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar) (which got updated and now there's a new term so I'm switching it to that... in case you didn't catch that up at the top.)
> 
> Zantulbasn- hobbit (common term)  
> nadad - (the) brother  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf
> 
> Okay so... I was actually going to sit down and write a chapter in July. And I was like "Alright, this weekend is my last one before I work two jobs so I should at least get it started."
> 
> And then I learned that my Nana had terminal cancer, and they didn't think she'd last to the end of the year.
> 
> It's been a... very busy, emotional several months. For a while I was very stressed and anxious, over my newer job, working two jobs, the new site for my first job, my Nana, family drama that comes with these kinds of situations. I was cowriting Marvel fic with someone, and I kind of really threw myself into it as the only escape I had. I kept thinking 'Oh you need to update Gemstones.' But I couldn't bring myself to even look at it, find the time to reread through it and I was just so uninspired.
> 
> But the closer BoFA came, the more I felt myself get drawn back into this fandom. I got a message asking if I'd be updating soon, I saw the movie, I rewatched Unexpected Journey, I got the EE of DoS for Christmas.
> 
> I was still freakin' stumped, I talked it out with my Marvel-writing buddy, she helped me figure out what to explore in this chapter. I pumped it out in two days.
> 
> I am really, really sorry about the wait here. And I'd love to say 'won't happen again' but it might. However, the family drama has died down, I've gotten into a good flow with my newer job, I got a new site again for my first job, and I think I've gotten back on track to get where I want to go with this fic. So there's that. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incredibly sorry about the awful wait here, guys. No true excuses, except I was working on fics in another fandom, started grad school, and was stumped with this chapter for the longest time.
> 
> For those of you still around, I hope you enjoy!

The storm did not veer elsewhere.

It was heavy, muggy, and entirely unpleasant.

Miss. Baggins’ curls sagged into limp, sad looking things that clung to her neck and shoulders, which were hunched uncomfortably because she hadn’t brought a hood.

Dori had sacrificed his hood to their burglar after it was clear the rain wouldn’t be letting up any time soon. It seemed to swamp her, hiding her away in folds of fabric. Everyone was varying degrees of miserable.

Well, except the Princes. They actually remained rather cheerful, hoods constantly falling back as they laughed and joked quietly to each other. Kili’s loose hair clung to his forehead and face, hardly seeming to bother him, and Fili’s mustache dripped water steadily.

Nori glared at the rain out from under his hood, dreading the thought of having to redo his hair after it was soaked so thoroughly. At least the _Zantulbasn_ didn’t have to worry about braids.

The forest offered no decent cover by the time night was beginning to fall. Nori could nearly see Thorin thinking that they should simply be miserable and ride through the night, or to potentially better shelter. The dark was quickly growing, making it more difficult to see the path, to see roots or other obstacles in the path.

Nori knew better than to travel in these sorts of conditions, but somehow he wasn’t positive Thorin did.

No one argued when Thorin told them to push onward, hoping for more shelter farther ahead. Miss. Baggins had given a weary sigh and a faint mumble about fireplaces and tea that Nori had barely heard, and he was just ahead of her. Nori grumbled, tugging his cloak closed - not that it did much, as wet as everything had become. Even the Princes were more subdued, slumping tiredly and mumbling to each other.

In less than half an hour, it was hard to make out details from a few feet away. Besides the person ahead and behind, everyone else in the Company was merely a slightly darker shape against a dark background, unless there was a flash of lightning, quick there and gone, more annoying than anything else. Nori kept his head down and focused on his pony, even though he thankfully had a sturdy gelding that moved steadily despite all of this.

Ahead, there was a shout – a high pitched whinny – a cry and a splash and more yelling.

Nori squinted, urging his pony closer, a bit faster.

Dwalin was holding back Fili, who was straining against him to leap into the river. The river, which was dark, fast, and flushed with rainwater....

A pony managed to get up the steep bank, the packs on the saddle long gone. The rider as well.

Nori looked around sharply, but he already knew… only one member of the Company would get Fili this worked up and desperate.

“Oh dear, oh dear,” Miss. Baggins murmured from her pony next to Nori. A hand was up at her throat, teeth chewing her lip. Even in the dark, her eyes were wide and dismayed.

Nori had heard, once, that Hobbits feared the water. He considered Miss. Baggins and thought perhaps that rumor had been true.

Then, with a rustle of bushes barely heard over the wind and rain, Kili stumbled up from further down the river bank, muddy and wet, teeth chattering.

“Kili!” Fili cried, wrenching loose of Dwalin finally and running for his brother.

Kili clutched back just as tightly, coughing and sniffling. “She spooked,” he mumbled. “Didn’t – ‘m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Fili breathed, pressing his forehead briefly to Kili’s before stepping back and leading his brother over to where Kili’s pony was waiting with the others. Kili clambered on, and protested loudly, with many uneasy looks towards his uncle, when Fili tried to give him his cloak as well.

Dwalin came forward and gently pushed Fili along, dropping one of his damp blankets over Kili’s head. “Can’t have either of you catchin’ cold,” he said gruffly. “We don’t have time for it.”

They moved farther away from the river then, and Thorin finally called a reluctant halt. As they all slid off their ponies, it was noticed that Gandalf was… gone.

“Where did he go?” Kili asked, looking around.

“He’s a wizard, he does as he chooses,” Bofur said, shaking his head.

“It is no matter,” Thorin snapped. “Set up camp.”

It was miserable; they had the barest shelter from a large tree, which dripped fat drops of rain on them intermittently. Nori scowled and pressed harder against the curve of a root, his hood low over his face. Ori was muttering angrily about his paper and ink, and Dori was tutting over Ori’s braids.

Oin and Gloin argued about the fire refusing to start. Bofur and Bifur signed at each other too quickly for Nori to follow, while Bombur attempted to make supper without a fire.

Two hours later and they were all unsatisfied with supper, cold and wet, and unable to truly sleep.

“There is a light!” Balin, who had taken first miserable watch, called out.

Nori sat up quickly, eyes narrowed and searching where Balin was pointing. He caught it, a faint orange glow deep in the trees to the North.

“How did they get a fire started in this blasted weather?” Gloin grumbled.

 

Nori eased up to Dori and Ori, uneasy. “No one would be out in this blasted weather that’s a good sort.”

“We’re out here,” Ori pointed out.

Nori sighed sharply, glancing at Dori, who was frowning worriedly. “No, Nori is right, Ori. Whoever that is, I am not sure they’re friendly folk.”

The rest of the company was still arguing, wet and hungry and exhausted….

“Burglar,” Thorin snapped. “Go see what is ahead there. Come back and tell us if it is friendly or a foe, and if you can’t come back… then we’ll know.”

Miss. Baggins gaped at him. “Well – why you!”

Thorin stared.

Huffing, Miss. Baggins began making her way into the trees. Nori thought he caught a few words – “insufferable dwarves” for instance – but the wind and rain quickly carried them away, and soon the dark swallowed her up as well.

Ori wrung his hands. “Oh dear. You think she’ll be okay?”

“Depends on what trouble lies ahead there,” Nori muttered. “ _Zantulbasân_ have a reputation of being very quiet, like Tharkûn said.”

They waited, shifting anxiously, murmuring to each other, as long minutes stretched by without a reappearance of their burglar. Bofur was the one who dared to ask what they’d do if she didn’t reappear, if something had, perhaps, happened to her. It sparked a very hushed but furious debate with a majority of the Company.

So distracted were most of them by it that it was several minutes before Ori got Nori’s attention with a tug of his sleeve.

“Where are the Princes?” he hissed.

Nori looked around sharply, away from the (amusing) sight of Dori and Gloin facing off in heated debate.

Last he’d seen, Fili and Kili had been sulking after a sharp scolding from Gloin, glaring between the older dwarves that argued and the direction of that faint light in the distance. They weren’t there now, and Nori dreaded the thought of just what they might have decided to do.

Sighing, Nori set his jaw and walked over to the others, wading into them to reach Dwalin.

“Dwalin-“

“Not now,” he said dismissively, and then kept arguing with Bofur.

“I think you-“

“Shut it!”

“The damned princes are gone!” Nori shouted. Everyone went completely still and silent.

Thorin breathed a word that was definitely not one that a king should be going around saying (and definitely one a soldier would go around saying, loudly), looking sharply towards the distant light. “Idiots,” he muttered. Shaking his head, he ordered, “Change of plans. We will split off – half of you circle around to the northeast, the rest of us will go to the southwest. If there is trouble, attack on my signal. Balin, take Bofur, Bifur, Ori, and Gloin. The rest of you, with me.”

They were almost to the light when Fili darted into view, breathing rapid, almost tripping over his feet.

“Trolls!” he gasped. “And they’ve got Miss. Baggins!”

Dwalin growled out a nasty word.

“Where is your brother?” Thorin demanded, gripping Fili’s shoulder tightly.

“He stayed behind, in case- Uncle!” Fili stumbled after Thorin. Dwalin steadied him, the pressed a finger to his lips. Nori watched Fili take a deep breath to steady himself. He drew his sword – Nori wondered why he didn’t draw both, but only distantly – and crept along with the rest of them.

Closer now, it was easy to hear the trolls over the sound of the rain – which may have been letting up some. Their rough voices sounded a lot like rocks rolling or scraping against one another, if one didn’t focus on the words themselves. Miss. Baggins, in contrast, was quick and high voiced, like wind through leaves or tall grass. She was clearly frightened and panicky, and who wouldn’t be, held upside down by a threesome of trolls, high above the ground where no person should rightfully be.

They were almost to positions when Kili burst into the clearing, threatening the trolls, swirling Fili’s other sword. Nori cursed several times without any sound, and everyone in their group moved just a hair faster. Even Miss. Baggins was gaping at Kili, and Nori couldn’t tell if she was relieved, surprised, or angry.

The troll reached for Kili – they all charged – and the fight was on.

For a while, Nori even almost deluded himself into thinking they might win – or, at least, managed to escape.

This Company’s ridiculous optimism was obviously rubbing off on him; he should have grabbed his brothers and ran for it, but he hadn’t, and now they were tied over a fire.

And then… Miss. Baggins began talking. Practically lecturing the trolls on cooking, insisting they were doing it wrong and that she had the _perfect_ recipe for them to try. Her words almost tripped over themselves sometimes, eyes just a touch too wide and darting constantly upwards, and Nori had no idea what she thought she was doing. But it kept the trolls’ attention on her, not him, so perhaps he could finally see about finding a way out of…

He ignored everyone yelling angrily, and then some more in a desperate tone, slowly trying to work his hand free from the ropes holding it. If he could just get _one_ arm free, reach his hair… he had a file in there he thought, hidden in a braid, good for cutting through ropes….

There was another voice – loud and deep – and then a loud crack and… sunlight.

The trolls screeched and shouted and froze into stone.

About time that wizard made himself useful, Nori thought.

 

 

The night didn’t provide a better day. None of them had slept, though at least some of them were now dry from hanging over the fire. (Nori wasn’t all that pleased; his hair was positively embarrassing.) And before they could even eat much breakfast, they were searching for a troll cave, and then another crazy wizard appeared (even crazier than Tharkûn), and they were being chased by wargs and orcs.

Nori’s heart was in his throat as they ran, the crazy wizard darting around on a sled pulled by rabbits to distract the wargs. It didn’t last, and several times the wargs came close to finding them. Ori nearly darted out from cover into sight, and it was only Thorin grabbing and yanking him back that saved him.

Nori kept a hand outstretched after that, ready to grab his brother at any moment to pull him back to safety.

They found some crevice in rocks to slide into, which would at least prevent them from being surrounded, and just as Thorin slid inside as well, horns sounded.

Elvish horns.

Which meant none of them should have been surprised when Tharkûn led them into that elvish city, all precarious heights and water and quiet.

Pretty things everywhere, though.

 

 

“Where’s Miss. Baggins?” Ori asked, hands wringing as he looked around their makeshift camp on some elvish balcony.

“Sit still,” Dori scolded, working on Ori’s braids. Nori smirked slightly at the dirty look Ori darted in the direction of Dori, though he did admittedly stop moving around. After a few moments, he turned pleading eyes on Nori.

Nori rolled his eyes. “She gets along with these pointy-eared folk, Ori,” he said. “I doubt anything has happened to her.”

“But what if she gets lost!”

“She’s not _Thorin_ ,” Nori muttered, quiet enough he wasn’t sure his brothers would hear. They did, judging by Ori’s muffled giggle and Dori’s strangled gasp. He rolled his eyes again, but darted to his feet as soon as he heard Dori take a deep breath in preparation for scolding Nori.

“I’ll just go find her, shall I?”

“Nori!” Dori snapped loudly, but he kept on going, grinning to himself. Dori was just so _easy_ to rile up sometimes.

It took some time, but Nori did find their burglar, tucked away in some sunny corner of the elves’ library. He grimaced, not truly wanting to speak to her when he didn’t have to, and she was obviously perfectly content and safe in here.

He turned to go, but then she snorted – an incredibly indelicate sound that he’d not heard her make before – and shut the book in her lap forcefully.

“That was entirely unhelpful,” she grumbled.

Nori hesitated. It was none of his business. He didn’t truly care.

Curiosity had always been a weakness of his.

He slipped into the next aisle of books and eased closer, watching.

She shoved the book in her lap off with a sigh and pulled forward another one. She only flipped through a few pages though before making an offended kind of noise and shutting that one even more roughly.

“Well I – if this is how – then I can’t say I blame,” she was mumbling, half formed thoughts said aloud. Nori crept closer, watching her shove curls out of her face and scowl at the books around her. “Where did that history book go – it can’t be nearly as biased, and I just might be desperate enough to read the dry boring thing.”

She twisted, looking through a stack of books at her side. Nori eased around the end of the aisle into her little area, bending down to pick up a heavy book, raising a brow at the elvish on the front, with a title in common underneath.

“Why you readin’ Elvish books on dwarvish history, dove?”

She startled, making an odd little meeping noise, and stared at him wide eyed.

“How did you…” she started to ask, then scowled and shook her head. She planted her hands on her hips, which lost quite a bit of affect from sitting down Nori assumed. “What are you doing, eavesdropping on me?”

He raised a brow, holding out the book. She looked at it, scowled even more, and snatched it from him.

“Ori was worried you’d been eaten by the elves or something,” he said, shrugging, wandering closer. A casual look over all the books showed that most of them seemed to be about dwarves. His lips quirked.

“Why don’t you just ask one’a us any questions you have about dwarves?” He nudged one book with a toe. “Much more reliable I’d wager than some elvish nonsense.”

“Everyone knows dwarves are secretive,” she said matter of factly. “And to be honest, I know that no one particularly likes me, so why would they answer my questions.” She set about restacking some of the books, getting to her feet with them and walking to a shelf.

Nori frowned slightly, waiting until she’d turned back around to say, “Ori likes you.”

She flushed slightly, shifting on her feet. “Yes, well… he’s very sweet.” She softened just slightly, and for some reason Nori wanted to needle at her, like he did Dori.

“Pretty sure the princes like you as well,” he added, and she made an immediate, disbelieving face.

“Right,” she scoffed.

But Nori really hadn’t been lying, and he smirked, telling her so. “They’re just young and a touch naïve, and honestly I’m not sure they’re all that well socialized with normal folk,” he added. “But their teasing is all harmlessly meant.”

“Hm,” she said shortly, not agreeing or disagreeing in any way. Nori grinned slightly at her.

“Well, you can return to your brothers, Mr. Nori, and tell them that I have not been eaten by any Elves, ridiculous as that idea is, and-“

“Or,” he said, “You can return with me to prove it, and ask Ori about whatever it is you’re trying to figure out about us dwarves.” He grinned at her outraged look. “And I won’t go tellin’ anyone that you were going to believe Elvish nonsense about us.”

She rolled her eyes, but gave him a grudgingly admiring look. “Well, it appears you’re quite willing to back me into a corner on this, aren’t you?”

“Can’t imagine most’a them nobles would be pleased to hear it,” he agreed cheerfully.

She laughed, surprising him, and grabbed another pile of books. “Fine then. Let me put these back and I’ll be along shortly.”

Instead of going ahead, as she clearly meant for him to, Nori leaned back and waited. She glanced at him and huffed quietly, but didn’t say anything about it. A few books later, she was obviously done, and Nori slipped ahead to lead the way out. They passed some elf – possibly the keeper of the librarian or some such thing – who glanced at Nori suspiciously as he passed. Nori widened his grin. Behind him Miss. Baggins called out a cheerful farewell and thanks, and followed Nori out into the hall.

They returned just in time for Nori to dart forward and snatch a bowl from Bofur, who had been looking around.

“Hey!” Bofur laughed, shaking his head. “Get yer own, Nori.”

Unrepentant, Nori grinned at him and went to join his brothers. Chuckling still, Bofur picked a bowl from the floor and turned back to the stew pot set up for lunch.

“Ori, Miss. Baggins’ got some questions for you,” Nori said, sitting down easily in front of his brothers, bent over his bowl. Full of spices and thick broth and meat, it was probably a better meal than they’d had since leaving Miss. Baggins’ home. Nori savored each bite, knowing there was no way to tell how much longer they’d have this kind of food.

“Questions?” Ori asked, looking up from his journal. His own bowl sat empty beside him, just a little bit of broth and some things that looked like possible vegetables sitting at the bottom.

Nori nodded, busy eating, not caring enough to specify.

“Miss. Baggins,” Ori called, looking behind Nori. He didn’t hear her approach, but he managed not to react to her suddenly beside him. “Nori said you wanted to ask me about something?”

“Oh,” she said, sounding a bit flustered. “It was just – I was trying to – he…” She huffed. When Nori glanced sideways at her, she was scowling at him. He grinned and went back to his lunch.

Sighing, she sat down with them, and said plainly, “I was curious about dwarves, and he said you wouldn’t mind answering some questions.”

Ori blinked. “Of course not, as long as it isn’t anything I _can’t_ talk to you about of course.”

Her brows pinched, and it was Dori that responded apologetically, “Secrets, and this isn’t the place for open discussion about certain things.”

“Doubt she’s gonna be askin’ about that,” Nori muttered, and ignored the looks from all three – irritation and amusement and curiosity.

“But I’ll answer what I can!” Ori said earnestly, turning back to Miss. Baggins.

She smiled, took a bite of her own stew, and began talking with Ori.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nori and Bilbo prove a pretty decent team

Sitting on the ledge of a railing, a small distance from the rest of the company, Nori worked on braiding his finally dry hair back into his usual tidiness. It had been beyond nice to finally, truly bathe, to wash the dirt and grunge of travel off of skin and hair, to get a chance to actually do his braids back into something that wasn’t disgraceful.

He hummed softly as he worked – a silly tavern song with an edge of dark humor if one knew where to look for it – and contemplated what he wanted to nick from the elves next. He’d gotten a couple things so far, all of them rather small and shiny and well-made. If he could get to a market, or find traveling traders of men that would not chase him off simply because he was a dwarf, they’d fetch decent prices simply for being from this place.

He had found one thing he would not trade, though. A simple chain, but it was without a doubt _abdâkh_. That, he kept well hidden on his person, and while he wasn’t sure he’d keep it for himself, he would not trade it. Too precious and rare now, too much history to the metal even for a dwarf like him, with no true home and no true loyalties.

Ori skittered into view as Nori was finishing off the last of his braids. He bent over, panting for breath with his hands braced on his knees. Nori tied his braid off, dropped back to the ground, and waited for Ori to catch his breath.

“Nori, we’re leaving! Tonight! Fili and Kili told me that Thorin wants you to help Miss. Baggins steal what provisions you can, since the elves likely will try to stop us,” Ori finally answered in Khuzdûl, straightening somewhat.

“Course they will,” Nori said, absently tugging Ori’s scarf into better place. “They think we’re fools off to wake up a dragon for no reason other than gold.”

Ori swatted his hand away, giving Nori a sardonic look. “You think we’re fools off to wake up a dragon, too.”

“We are,” Nori said, clapping a hand on Ori’s shoulder. “But at least most of us are in it for reasons other than greed for gold.” They took a few steps, before Nori frowned slightly. “Why am I helpin’ the lass with the stealin’?”

Ori made a squeaky hum noise, then quickly muttered, “Dwalin may have implied you have some know-how.”

Nori growled to himself. Blasted Dwalin, couldn’t ever keep nothin’ from that king of his.

They headed back towards where the Company had been camped out the two weeks they’d been in Rivendell. Nothing was fully packed away, but things were tidied up, the random odds and ends that had been spread out now shuffled back into packs. At least they weren’t all fool enough to make it obvious they were planning to make a run for it.

Seated nearby, puffing on a pipe, was Gandalf. Miss. Baggins was seated beside him, little frown on her face as she watched the Company. Spotting Nori, her frown deepened.

Ignoring her, Nori went and double-checked his pack for all his things – and to make sure his new acquisitions were safely tucked out of sight. His pack would be a smidge heavier, but one never knew when little things like would come in handy.

He startled a bit when the Hobbit lass cleared her throat, right behind him, closing his pack and whirling around to face her. She blinked at him, her lips pursing ever so slightly, and shoved some curls out of her face.

“Now see, I’ve made it clear I think it quite poor manners to go stealing from our hosts,” she said promptly. Nori raised his brow, unimpressed, and she gave him a rather similar one back. “However, Gandalf agreed that Thorin’s idea wasn’t complete balderdash, so.” She hiked her chin up. “What do we have to carry the provisions in? I doubt it’d be very logical to make off with them gathered up in our arms.”

Nori considered her, before he gave a nod. “I reckon there’s some spare packs lying around – or if not, we’re to nick those, too.”

She made a little tutting kind of noise, irritated, but didn’t argue. “The kitchen will be quietest after lunch. Elves apparently don’t have any sensible ideas about afternoon tea, and so there’s rarely anyone in there at that time, unless they plan for a large dinner.”

Interesting – and almost clever of the Hobbit. “We’ll need provisions that’ll last us – dried meats if we can find them, fruits, bread.”

“Jams,” Miss. Baggins said decisively. “Potatoes. And Bombur I’m sure would appreciate a replenishment of his spices.”

“Those get too heavy,” Nori disagreed.

Miss. Baggins rolled her eyes at him. “They last a good bit longer than fruits and bread, though.”

They discussed a little more of what they could grab and would be good for provisions. Then, when the rest of the Company was busy, they headed off. No one but Bofur and Ori spared them a glance.

Nori let Miss. Baggins lead the way, her footsteps enviously silent and her manner satisfyingly sneaky. She paused a few times before turning corners, head tilting slightly, listening with those large, nearly-elvish ears of hers for anyone in the next hallway. They paused outside the door to the kitchens, Miss. Baggins pressing her ear to it before glancing back at Nori with a nod and slipping inside, Nori right on her heels.

The door shut with a bare whisper of sound behind them.

The split off, darting about the kitchen to grab whatever they could. Nori grumbled under his breath again about how the elves had fed them nothing but leaves and vegetables when clearly they were used to having guests who also ate meat, for there was stored dried meats in a back room.

He had filled his two bags for the most part when Miss. Baggins suddenly squeaked, and bowled into him, shoving them both under a table. Nori turned to snap at her, only to have the hobbit shush him with a glare.

He scowled back, even as they both froze with the sound of the opening door and whisper-soft footsteps.

For several stretched minutes, the two of them huddled with their packs filled with pilfered provisions under the table, waiting for whatever elf had wandered in to _leave again thank you_. But as it became increasingly apparent that luck wasn’t on their side, Nori started to look around the room and plot an escape route.

Near the back of the kitchen there was a window, already cracked open somewhat to let in the breeze. Nothing that most could make use of, but Nori had spent his life slithering through small spaces and impossible squeezes. As for Miss. Baggins… well, she was even smaller than a dwarf, so she’d not struggle. Hopefully. It was their best bet to get out, except there was nothing blocking them from sight from the table to the window. And it would take more time than Nori was comfortable leaving to chance for them both to slip through.

He startled at the light touch to his hand and glanced back to Miss. Baggins. With a determined set to her lips, she pushed her packs at him – one full and heavy, the other a little more than half full and much lighter – and jerked her head towards the same window he’d been contemplating.

Then, before he could even begin to think to question her, she slipped out from underneath the table and stepped a short ways away before clearing her throat.

“Oh! Miss Bilbo, I didn’t realize you were in here,” said the elf.

Miss. Baggins gave a light laugh and walked away from the table, likely towards the elf. “Sorry. I kind of hid when I heard you coming – we hobbits usually duck out of sight when there’s Big Folk about – begging your pardon.”

“No offence is taken. I am amazed you heard me coming, though.”

“Ah, well, that’s not a surprise. Gandalf’s often taken aback by how good we are at hearing things, and he’s been visiting the Shire for generations. You’d think he’d know enough about Hobbits by now, we’re not very complicated. Now, dwarves, there’s a complicated bunch,” she said.

Nori scowled, leaning carefully forward to peer from under the table. Miss. Baggins had her hands clasped behind her back and was rocking back and forwards on her feet, smiling guilelessly at the elf, who was standing at a counter doing something or other that Nori couldn’t see.

“I imagine they are not the easiest of companions – certainly nothing a Hobbit would be used to.”

Miss. Baggins’ smile – what Nori could see of it – stretched impossibly wider and she nodded her head several times, making her curls bounce around. “Oh certainly, certainly.” She paused, then added, “Actually, that’s why I was here, you see. I mean, it is nothing that I cannot handle, it is just… I’m quite used to a different manner of… supping. I mean, not only more of it, of course – all of the Shire would be appalled at how few times of day I’ve been eating since setting out on the road, why, no one seems to even have heard of elevensies! – but also at their… mmm… manners?”

The elf, great tall rude thing, nodded with a sympathetic expression. “Yes, I had heard from my sister about their appalling behavior the first night.”

Miss. Baggins eyes went wide and earnest and she nodded again, quick enough to send curls into her face again. “Yes, quite, so, you see, I just wanted to get myself a small afternoon snack, and not around them, if you understand.”

“Of course, Miss. Bilbo!” the elf said, beaming. “Is there perhaps anything I can make for you?”

“Oh, well, if it wouldn’t be any trouble, some tea would be _delightful_. I saw the stove over there,” she said, gesturing to another side of the room. Away from the window. “I would have attempted to make some on my own, except, of course, everything is just so frustratingly tall!”

The elf laughed lightly, already walking over to where Miss. Baggins had gestured. As the elf left, Miss. Baggins glanced back at Nori and widened her eyes impatiently. Then she turned to follow the elf, saying in a slightly louder than necessary voice, “You know what I miss almost as much as tea? Some nice, delicious carrot cake! My mother – Belladonna – she had a recipe that was the envy of most of the Shire, only Mayflower Brandybuck had one that could compete…”

Grinning, Nori darted from under the table and bolted for the window, shoving the bags out first and wiggling himself through after.

When he re-joined the rest of the Company later, Bofur glanced at him, confused. “Where’s our Hobbit?” he asked, even as Bombur and Dori took the bags to sort through everything.

Nori laughed. “Having tea.”

 

They traveled well into mid-morning, stopped for a brief rest, and then set back to the road again, continuing even as night began to fall. Thorin’s pace was relentless, but no one dared complain. The king had already snapped at his nephews for some playful groaning about being tired when they’d set out in the afternoon again. Both were now hanging back, subdued, and no one else wanted to bring that kind of irritation down on themselves.

Ori and Miss. Baggins were talking quietly not far from the Princes. Dori was with them, while Nori stayed ahead of them, with Bofur and Bifur. He’d been following along rather well with the conversation, at least until it began to get darker, and therefore harder to see either of their hands as clearly.

At that point, he excused himself and dropped back, until he was near Ori. The Princes were still trailing a short ways behind, quiet, unhappy. Nori thought they looked somewhat saddened or ashamed, which he was unpleasantly sure Lady Dis would be furious about if she were here.

“Ori,” he murmured into his brother’s ear. “Go cheer them up. Unhappy Princes means a grumping and guilty Thorin, which means nothin’ good for the rest of us.”

Ori’s nose scrunched, but he sighed and nodded. Nori watched for a moment as he dropped back and began chattering away. Slowly, a little smile quirked one side of Kili’s lips, and Fili’s shoulders relaxed somewhat from their tense position at his chin.

“He’s very hard on them, isn’t he?”

Nori glanced over at Miss. Baggins in surprise.

“They’re his heirs,” Dori offered.

She sniffed, dismissive. “Yes, I understand that thank you. But what good is snapping at them for something so little, making them feel small and like disappointments? Striving to always do better is one thing, expecting perfection altogether another. And aren’t they quite young?”

“Yes,” Nori said softly, glancing back. “Young enough that many did not look well upon them being allowed to come.”

“Nori!” Dori hissed, sending a sharp glance around them. Nori rolled his eyes.

Miss. Baggins’ lips pursed and she shook her head. “They remind me of some of my Took cousins, you know. Always getting into a bit of mischief, those young ones. But trying to stop it does no good, it only makes them resentful and unhappy. Much better to either channel it or hold off the scolding for something particularly unpleasant. Tramping through the garden is one thing, but squashing someone’s prize tomatoes while doing so another, after all.”

Nori and Dori exchanged glances, Dori puzzle, Nori rolling his eyes. The priorities of _Zantulbasân_ , honestly.

“Well not many of us have children or at used to dealing with them, I suppose,” Dori said, shrugging. “Gloin has a boy a few years younger than Kili, and Bombur has quite a few I’ve heard, but otherwise, I believe that’s the extent of our Company’s experience.”

Nori didn’t mention that Dori left out how he’d practically raised Ori himself, or how dwarves nearly always worked together to raise the dwarflings in their family, making Dori’s point utter bullshit. He kept focused forward so he wouldn’t be tempted to give Dori a look and potentially tip the lass off, either.

Miss. Baggins tutted, shook her head, and muttered something about ‘blasted dwarves without any kind of sense’. Nori raised his brows, watching as she purposefully dropped back to join the three youngest behind them.

He glanced back several times over the next few minutes, watching as Miss. Baggins gestured wildly a few times, just slightly more expressive than normal. Watched the smiles creep over both Kili’s and Fili’s faces, as Ori covered his mouth with his hands to muffle laughs.

Several members of the Company glanced back in surprise when Fili burst out laughing at something Miss. Baggins said.

Dori made a soft ‘huh’ kind of sound. Nori turned forward, and stepped around Dwalin, who fell into step next to him. There was something close to suspicion on his face that Nori wanted to sigh at. Like a  _Zantulbasn_ was going to harm the Princes, or like the Princes couldn’t take care of themselves against someone like her.

“The young’uns are pretty attached to ‘er already,” he said.

“Eh.” Nori shrugged. “They’d attach themselves to anyone with a good story and kind word.”

“Doesn’t explain you,” Dwalin said. There was only a slight note of teasing in his voice, most of his attention still back on the Princes and Miss. Baggins.

Nori laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, I’m all danger and excitement. As you well know.”

“Aye, I do.” Dwalin sighed, shaking his head. “Our Burglar’s lasted longer than I’d’a thought she would. Expected her to stay back in that _khithzîn_ , honestly,” he said.

Nori glanced back and shrugged, thinking of Miss. Baggins’ smooth lying and superb sneaking, with little objections to it all. “I think she’s enjoyed herself more than she’s let on.”

“Danger and excitement,” Dwalin sighed, shaking his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> elf-place (impolite) – khithzîn  
> Hobbit (common) – Zantulbasn  
> Hobbit (common – plural) – Zantulbasân  
> Mithril – abdâkh


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they do a lot of running and Nori's not at all sure how they keep escaping death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I update this thing basically once a year but I graduate with my Masters come December so hopefully I can focus more on this soon? I'm also a bit tired of all the "pick a side and your side is very wrong and terrible" attitude in my other main fandom, so I may end up focusing on this more. No promises.
> 
> Sorry for the wait.

Nori could not seem to regain his calm after the stone giants. Dori was fussing over Ori – and Nori wanted to as well, had tried, but it had not helped. Had made his hands even more jittery, his eyes darting. Instead, he found himself gravitating towards Bofur as they entered the cave. Bofur, who was obviously holding back from fussing over Miss. Baggins.

Bofur seemed glad to turn that need to touch and reassure onto Nori, and Nori didn’t mind it at all, for once. He gave one side of Bofur’s mustache a tug, adjusted his hat, and took a deep breath. Let it out heavy and slow.

“Blast Thorin,” Bofur muttered, quiet enough Nori was almost sure no one would hear it. “Not listening to Balin – not waiting for Gandalf.”

Nori wasn’t sure it would have changed much – but it would have delayed them taking this path, through the storm, so maybe.

“Nori,” Dori snapped, appearing, and hauled Nori off towards a corner where he’d settled Ori and their packs. Nori settled back against the wall, fingers twitching restlessly. He watched the group, taking in as much as he could and not saying anything, even as Dori started fussing with a tear in Nori’s sleeve.

Gloin and Oin were sulking after being told not to light a fire, Oin shaking rain out of his earhorn, Gloin wringing it out of his beard. Bifur was settling Bombur into a corner of the cave, glaring at anyone that came too close, roughly rubbing a blanket over Bombur to soak up the water.

Miss. Baggins hovered at the edge of everything, unnervingly close to the open entrance of the cave. Her hands kept twisting together, her face pale and lips parted, and eyes stuck wide. Her hair hung limp about her face.

“Dori,” Nori tried to say, but Dori hushed him.

“Dori,” he said again, and again Dori hushed him, all while fussing some more over poor Ori – who looked shaken enough that he was taking it without complaint, curling the blanket Dori threw over his shoulders closer.

Nori tried to stand – someone had to look after the _Zantulbasn_ , after all – and found himself yanked back to the floor by the back of his coat by Dori.

“Oh no. You’re staying put.”

Growling, Nori gave up on outmaneuvering or overpowering Dori, and craned his head. He caught Bifur’s eye and brought his hands up into his sight. Bifur watched, then nodded. He tapped Bofur’s shoulder, did his own quick signs, and that sent Bofur scrambling to his feet to look after Miss. Baggins.

Good.

Nori’d seen folks with that look about them before, stunned and terrified and lonely.

Nothing good ever came of it.

~*~*~

Nori had learned early in his life to sleep when he could, where he could, and to wake up in a split second. It had saved his life more than once, and had kept him from getting caught unawares by guards or men or other dangerous parties on the roads more than he could count.

The only place he’d ever slept deeply and soundly was buried safely in his bedroom at home with his brothers. It was safe there.

It was not safe here, in this cave in the middle of the Misty Mountains.

So when he heard hushed, slightly frantic whispers, he woke up immediately. Keeping still, he listened, realizing that somehow, Miss. Baggins had snuck past everyone while they slept – impressive, and honestly also slightly unnerving – and was having a whispered argument with Bofur. An argument that Bofur was clearly losing.

If Miss. Baggins vanished into the night, Fili and Kili and Ori would be practically despondent with sadness. Dori would fret, Bombur would silently mope, and Bofur would be completely dreary for weeks.

Not to mention that Nori wasn’t too sure on how well she could find her way back to Rivendell. Nor if she could survive the trip; they knew there were orcs and wargs about, dangerous men and trolls and all manner of harm could befall her. Nori wouldn’t be certain any of them, even the most skilled of them, could make it back home alone and unharmed, and someone without the skills to fight like her… well, it was almost as poor odds as them surviving the dragon.

Plus, Tharkûn would kill them all if his friend died because they’d let her wander off on her own. That was very clear to Nori.

And Bufor was… apparently just going to let her go with a wish of luck, like that’d _help her_.

Nori was nearly going to sit up and set the both of them straight when another strange noise reached his ears. A faint hissing noise, like sand being poured…

“Wake up!” Thorin snarled, bolting upright.

But it was too late.

Down, down they tumbled. Nori spat curses the entire way down in every language he knew them in – which, he’d learned a lot of nasty words in various languages and dialects in his travels. Taverns in port cities were particularly useful in that regard. Rocks bit and stabbed into every part of his body, he crashed into and against members of the Company and their gear and then they all landed unceremoniously in a huge pile on creaking wood.

And _then_ a bunch of goblins leapt on top of them.

Nori was pretty sure that _this time?_ This time they were definitely going to die.

Weapons were snatched from their backs and hands, gross goblin-fingers touching everywhere, yanking and tugging them to their feet, down the narrow, creaking walkway of rotting wooden planks. Everyone was snarling and shouting – Dwalin was almost wild with anger, lips pulled into a sneer and curses falling endlessly. Bofur was struggling to get to Bombur, and Bifur was in turn struggling to get to Bofur.

Fili and Kili were straining towards each other, eyes wide with panic that was barely restrained.

Dori had four goblins hanging onto him, and he was shouting for Ori to not do anything stupid.

Nori viciously shrugged a pair of hands off his shoulder, turning with a furious scowl.

He did a double-take when he saw Miss. Baggins behind him just… go still and quiet.

The goblins swarmed around her… but didn’t touch her, aside from some shoving past. Like a stone in the middle of a damn river.

Glancing around with wide, uneasy eyes, she crouched down, slow and smooth, and Nori lost sight of her.

 _Mahal_ he hoped she knew what she was doing, because he had _no idea what she was thinking_.

~*~*~

It was a mix of cleverness, vicious fighting, and pure luck that got them out of the goblin caves.

Well, and Tharkûn. Having a Wizard did come in handy, Nori had to admit. They’d again managed to escape what certainly should have been their deaths. (Multiple times over – perhaps especially after falling down the ravine and being crushed under wood and the dead Goblin King.)

Nori was _not_ reassured by this. There was only so many times one could cheat death before death came for you with a vengeance. You were only lucky for so long.

Tharkûn would not always be there to save them.

The sunlight from the early evening was warm, so warm, after the cold of the goblin caves. When they finally stopped, panting and leaning on their weapons when they could, Nori tested his ribs.

Sore, but he thought he’d lucked out on them being too badly damaged. He was breathing without trouble, at least.

He caught his brothers’ eyes – first Ori, who looked frazzled but energized, then Dori, who looked simply relieved – and then checked on the others that he found he had actually grown fond of, against his better judgment. The Princes. Dwalin. Bofur. Bifur.

No Miss. Baggins, of course. Nori tapped his fingers, worrying about that. Perhaps he should tell the Wizard – no doubt he’d want to go back to find his missing-

“Where’s Bilbo?” Tharkûn demanded, as if catching Nori’s thoughts. Impossible, of course. He’d probably been doing the same as Nori, checking everyone was there.

Nori glanced around uneasily, but no one else seemed to know. Fili and Kili were looking around as if expecting the lass to jump out from behind a bush or drop down from the branches of a tree.

Dwalin growled out a curse – exhausted and worried, Nori would wager, because Dwalin was too stinkin’ honorable to truly be that careless about the lass – and somehow someone was claiming Dori had responsibility for her.

“Well don’t blame me!” Dori said, annoyed. His face still looked twisted with guilt, convincing probably no one, least of all Tharkûn.

“I think I saw her slip away, when they corralled us,” Nori admitted. All eyes locked on him, sharp and angry, though Nori’d bet for differing reasons.

“What happened exactly? Tell me!” Tharkûn demanded sharply.

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Thorin said, voice rough and bitter. “Master Baggins saw her chance and she took it. We will not be seeing her again. Our hobbit is long gone.”

Nori glanced towards Bofur, who looked resigned if heartbroken. He would be willing to wager they were both thinking of the previous night, how Miss. Baggins had tried to take an opportunity to slip away. Perhaps she’d tried to do the same, inside the mountain, but… but Nori liked her chances even less in that case. Now the goblins would be furious; if they came across her… if she didn’t get somewhere far and safe fast enough this night….

Tharkûn was shaking his head slightly, looking at them all like they were failing him.

“No, she’s not.”

Nori’s neck cracked with painful heat, he whipped his head around so quick. There she was, suddenly just behind Balin. Her trousers were muddy at the ankles, the buttons of her little over shirt thing missing, dirtier and bruised up more than he’d last seen her. Her cheek was swelling up, edged with a purpling bruise.

But she was, somehow, alive.

“How did you get past the goblins?” Kili asked.

“How indeed,” Dwalin wondered, thoughtful.

Miss. Baggins hesitated, and laughed uneasily. Nori stared sharply, but she just rocked a bit on her feet, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.

“What does it matter?” Tharkûn tried to say, but Thorin interrupted and demanded to know why she returned.

Nori couldn’t say he wasn’t curious as well. She had every reason to leave them. She had no reasons to stay with them, to join their mad journey of certain death. No family to protect like Nori did, no idealized notions of gaining honor like Ori, no interest in reclaiming old titles and homes, like many of the nobles.

So why had she stayed through everything?

“You’re right – I miss home. I miss my books, my armchair, my garden. It’s where I belong; that’s home,” she insisted. “And you don’t – have one,” she said, a little awkwardly. “A home. It was _taken_ from you. So I will help you get it back. If I can.”

It was all a very lovely moment, quite touching, but the sun was setting and howls of wargs were filling the air.

“Run!” Tharkûn shouted, and off they were, again, breath barely caught from before.

Nori darted ahead, but there was no finding a safe path unseen; the ground ended abruptly. They began climbing into the trees at the wizard’s command, Miss. Baggins wasting precious time trying to yank her little sword from the skull of a warg – looking faintly shell-shocked. Eventually she did, and looked around helplessly.

Dori made a rough noise, dropping back down to give her a quick hand up into the branches. She clambered up, rather well for someone that lived underground Nori thought.

The wargs and orcs appeared.

Azog appeared.

The wargs began attacking the trees, ripping away branches, sending the trunks tipping sideways into one another her, until they were all on the same tree, right at the edge of the cliff. Tharkûn lit pinecones on fire, and for a time, it looked like maybe….

But the tree tipped, nearly spilling them off the branches. Once Nori had a grip, he scanned for everyone – Bofur, Bifur, Miss. Baggins, Dwalin, the princes, his brothers-

Ori was dangling from Dori’s feet, and Dori was losing his grip. He just barely caught Tharkûn ’s staff in time, but it couldn’t last, it couldn’t.

Nori shifted on the branch he had wrapped his arms around, trying to swing his leg over to crawl back up. But it creaked, liable to snap.

He mentally weighed the odds; if he fell and died, who would look after his brothers?

If they fell and died, what would it matter?

And then – then the others were shouting, Dwalin worried for Thorin. Thorin who had charged out while Nori had been focused on his brothers and attacked Azog so foolishly.

(Dis would probably be pulling her braids in despair. She’d never do something so recklessly stupid.)

Nori shot a look for the princes, right where he’d seen them last and looking wrecked with fear and worry for their uncle. Nori didn’t blame them – he couldn’t see much but could hear Thorin’s cries of pain.

Dwalin’s branch almost broke away entirely when he tried to go to help him.

Miss. Baggins somehow got back to her feet on the trunk. Nori could see her standing there, her little sword in hand.

“Don’t tell me you’re also that stupid,” he grunted, though he didn’t think anyone could hear him. Miss. Baggins began running, and Nori groaned. “Of course you are. Everyone on this bloody company-“ he yelped, almost slipping off the branch as he kept struggling to get a better grip –“has a bloody death wish!”

Others were running down the trunk, he could feel the vibrations of it. A quick glance showed the princes on Dwalin’s tail.

“Dis is gonna murder us all,” he muttered. There was nothing he could do about them – and they weren’t his problem. None of them were, really.

His brothers were.

Because Dori was making loud panicked noises, and Ori was flailing desperately, and even Nori could see when Dori’s grip slipped that slightest bit more, just barely clinging to the staff.

“No, no, no,” he chanted. He managed to get higher up the branch, almost to the trunk. He didn’t know precisely what he could do to help but damn it he would do something.

Dori slipped with a loud wailing cry.

Nori screamed.

A fucking _giant eagle swooped into the air with them_.

There were eagles everywhere – some grabbing the company from the tree or as they fell, others grabbing up wargs in their claws and tossing them into the open air – and Nori only struggled a bit when claws hooked into the back of his jacket. He was dropped down onto another eagle’s back, and strained for a view of his brothers.

“ _Easy_ ,” the eagle complained.

“My brothers,” Nori panted, but settled back in place. “They fell – they were caught yeah?”

“Of course,” the eagle said, sounding offended. “We’ve caught all you mountain-dwellers who fell.”

Nori slumped, closing his eyes and trying to calm his breathing.

“Thank you,” he murmured. _Thank Mahal_.

The eagle made a noise, a kind of trill that sounded proud if anyone asked Nori, and kept flying into the distance.

They flew for what felt like ages. Down the mountain a ways, along the high, cold peaks, before swooping down most of the way towards the valley. There was a large rock sticking up, far enough down from the rest of the peaks to stand out oddly. The eagles dropped them off there, one by one, as the sun finished rising in the sky again.

When Nori finally stumbled onto the rock, legs unsteady, Tharkûn was knelt next to Thorin. Nori hovered back, letting the nobles cram closer. They were the ones who could claim Thorin as cousin of some sort, after all, the ones who knew and cared for the king. Nori instead grabbed onto the back of Ori’s jumper, and grasped Dori’s forearm tightly.

Dori glanced at him, expression going softer than Nori had seen it for a long time. “We’re alright, _nadad_.”

Thorin staggered to his feet, shrugging off Dwalin and Kili’s help. He started snarling at Miss. Baggins, who looked smaller and smaller with each reminder of Thorin’s poor opinion.

Nori’s grip on his brothers tightened.

He told himself it was to hold them back.

It was probably even somewhat true.

But then – then Thorin was admitting he’d been wrong, and hugging Miss. Baggins, who looked absolutely baffled and relieved. The others cheered, and Nori let himself relax, letting go of his brothers and clapping Dori on the back.

“That’ll make our jobs easier,” he joked. “Now everyone’ll be looking after the lass.”

“Thorin owes her a life-debt,” Dori murmured, keeping his voice quiet enough the others likely wouldn’t hear. “He’d be very dishonored if he let something happen to her, after she risked her life to save him.”

Nori grunted. Somehow, he didn’t get the feeling Miss. Baggins would like that thought much.

“Is that…?”

Everyone went very hushed, and Nori looked up. The Company was all drawn towards the edge of the rock they were on, staring into the distance.

“Erebor,” Thorin breathed.

Nori had seen it before, much like this. But something about the moment – something about being with these dwarves, after all they’d gone through, and seeing their ancestral home now in sight….

A bird darted past them. Thorin said it was a good omen.

Miss. Baggins beamed at him and said she thought the worst was behind them.

Nori breathed out a silent prayer to Mahal that it was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Khuzdûl translations (via The Dwarrow Scholar)
> 
> Zantulbasn- hobbit (common)  
> nadad - (the) brother  
> Tharkûn - Gandalf


End file.
